A former double-bass player in the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), Michael Francis came to prominence as a conductor in January of 2007, stepping in for Valery Gergiev and John Adams with the LSO. Francis began his appointment as the chief conductor of the Rheinland-Pfalz State Philharmonic Orchestra in the 2019/20 season. In addition, he has also been the music director of the Florida Orchestra since the fall of 2014, where his role in Community-Engagement initiatives has helped to grow the organization significantly. As music director of the Mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego since 2014, Francis and Mainly Mozart have recently completed an ambitious multi-year exploration of Mozart’s life, which is slated to continue through at least 2028. Previously...