Michael Francis (conductor)
Michael Francis is a British conductor.
Francis learnt the double bass as a youth. He was a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra, and graduated in 1997 from The Cardiff University School of Music. He played the double bass for the London Symphony Orchestra before he began conducting. His first public performance as conductor of a major orchestra occurred in January 2007 when London Symphony Orchestra's incoming Principal Conductor, Valery Gergiev, fell ill.
In Europe, Francis became chief conductor and artistic adviser to the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra in 2012, and held the post through 2016. In December 2016, Francis first guest-conducted the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz. In December 2018, the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz announced the appointment of Francis as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2019-2020 season, with an initial contract of 5 years.
In the USA, Francis became music director of The Florida Orchestra as of the 2015-2016 season, with an initial contract of 3 years. His current contract with The Florida Orchestra is through 2024. He became music director of the Mainly Mozart Festival in the summer of 2015.
Francis lives in Florida with his American wife Cindy and their daughter.
