James McQuillen, The Oregonian, 12th October 2014
“Francis has earned a reputation as a conductor superhero, stepping in at the last minute for one orchestra after another and leading brilliant performances as though he’d been rehearsing with them for weeks. Affable and unflappable, he has a terrific rapport with the Oregon Symphony Orchestra, for which he stepped in twice in one month three years ago; even if you didn’t hear the buzz back then, you could tell just by listening Saturday night. His easy way with the players seems to encourage their most responsive, enthusiastic performances, and his clear gestures elicited precise attacks and cutoffs, bringing out all kinds of crisp detail.”
