community is a priority, with pre-concert talks, family and youth
concerts and other educational activities.
M I C H A E L F R A N C I S
Music Director, The Florida Orchestra
Conductor Michael Francis has quickly
established himself internationally. Known for
maintaining a diverse repertoire while paying
particular homage to the composers of his native
Britain, Francis enjoys great reception throughout
North America, Europe and Asia.
Highlights of Francis’ 2018/19 season include return
appearances with the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra,
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony
Orchestra, Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra and debuts with the
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra as well as the Phoenix and San
Diego symphonies. He returns with Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie
Rheinland-Pfalz as artist-in-residence for the season.
Other guest and return appearances in North America have
included The Cleveland Orchestra and the symphonies of New
York, Cincinnati, Houston, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Montreal, Toronto
and Ottawa. His European engagements have included Bavarian
Radio, Berlin Radio, Dresden Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic,
Orquesta Sinfónica de RTVE Madrid and Mariinsky Orchestra. In
the United Kingdom, he has worked with the London Symphony,
Royal Philharmonic, Philharmonia, BBC Philharmonic, BBC
National Orchestra of Wales and BBC Scottish Symphony. In Asia,
Francis has conducted the NHK Symphony, National Symphony
Orchestra of Taiwan as well as the Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia
and Seoul philharmonics.
Working with young musicians has always been a priority for
Francis. He will return to the National Youth Orchestra of Canada
during the summer of 2019. Francis has made frequent visits to
Miami’s New World Symphony and recently returned to the
National Youth Orchestra of Scotland. He also works regularly with
young musicians in Florida as part of the orchestra’s community
engagement initiative.
After several years as a tenured double-bass player in the
London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), he came to prominence as