Alun Francis Conductors
Since taking up the baton to conduct his first orchestra, aged just 22, Alun Francis has enjoyed a remarkable career, which has included tenures as Chief Conductor of eleven of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, four international Opera Houses, and over eighty highly-successful CD recordings, and is testimony to his reputation as one of the most gifted conductors of his generation. Recent operatic highlights have included Andrea Chenier at the Teatro Bellini di Catania, and he is currently Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Orquest Filharmonica de la UNAM in Mexico City. Future engagements include Albert Herring at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, new recordings of Kabalevsky’s Piano Concertos in Hannover and Munich and further concerts in Zagreb and Mainz in 2011.
Since taking up the baton to conduct his first orchestra, aged just 22, Alun Francis has enjoyed a remarkable career, which has included tenures as Chief Conductor of eleven of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, four international Opera Houses, and over eighty highly-successful CD recordings, and is testimony to his reputation as one of the most gifted conductors of his generation. Recent operatic highlights have included Andrea Chenier at the Teatro Bellini di Catania, and he is currently Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Orquest Filharmonica de la UNAM in Mexico City. Future engagements include Albert Herring at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, new recordings of Kabalevsky’s Piano Concertos in Hannover and Munich and further concerts in Zagreb and Mainz in 2011.
A native of South Wales, his career began as a gifted vocal coach and accompanist, regularly appearing with artists including Sir Peter Pears and Gerald English amongst others. He collaborated closely with many of country’s most influential musical figures, including Sir Benjamin Britten - assisting him on numerous historic productions and recordings. Quickly establishing himself as a conductor in his own right, Alun’s guest appearances at the helm of the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra and London Mozart Players, have resulted in some of the finest recordings and performances ever produced by these ensembles.
Alun was first appointed Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Ulster Orchestra and Northern Ireland Opera Trust, before going on to head the NEPAC Opera in Durban, and the Iranian Opera in Tehran - where he commissioned and conducted 18 new productions every Season, which. Particular highlights included a spectacular production of Aida, featuring Grace Bumbry in the title-role, who accepted Alun’s personal invitation to appear.
His operatic credits have since grown to include well over 70 operas with more than 200 orchestras in 30 countries, making him one of the most prolific artists of his generation, and widely-regarded as one of the UK’s finest opera-conductors. An acknowledged champion of bel canto repertoire, significant engagements have included the world-premiere of Donizetti’s Gabriella di Vergy in London and Rigoletto (directed by Roman Polanski) for the Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich. He was Chief Conductor of the Opera Forum in the Netherlands, in addition to Principal Conductor and Generalmusikdirektor of the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, the Haydn Orchestra, Bolzano, and between 1989 and 1996 Principal Conductor Berliner Symphoniker.
He enjoyed a particularly successful period as Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, performing and recording performances of both opera and symphonic repertoire, before going on to join the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra as their Permanent Guest Conductor in 2002, and more recently Chief Conductor Thϋringen Philharmonie.
His many guest appearances have included Italian Radio Orchestra (RAI) Turin, Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie Orchester, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Rundfunk Sinfonie Orchester of Berlin, the Frankfurter-Radio-Sinfonie Orchester, Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) Hannover, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken, Radio Sinfonie Orchester Basel, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Swedish National Radio Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, London.
His discography boasts well over eighty best-selling titles, and in 2000 he was awarded First Prize in the Cannes Classical Awards for his complete symphonies of Darius Milhaud.
Alun Francis
Date: 20th July
Conductor
Renowned conductor Alun Francis joins the roster at Athole Still Opera.
Audio file:
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