Mikko Franck (born 1 April 1979) is a Finnish conductor and violinist.

Biography

Franck was born in Helsinki. He began learning the violin at the age of 5 and started violin studies at the Sibelius Academy in 1992. The Academy let Franck conduct an orchestra in 1995, whereupon Jorma Panula enlisted him as a private student. Franck entered Panula's conducting class at the Academy in 1996, leaving in 1998 as his international career began. He said Panula "gave me everything that can be taught about this profession." Before age 23, Franck had made his conducting début with all leading Scandinavian orchestras, with the London Philharmonia, London Symphony Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, Berlin State Opera Orchestra and the Israel Philharmonic. His first recording, of Jean Sibelius, received a Grammy nomination for "Best Orchestral Performance". He champions Einojuhani Rautavaara's works. Franck was the Belgian National Orchestra's artistic director from 2002 to 2007. He became the Finnish National Opera's general music director in August 2006. Six months later, he claimed a loss of confidence in the company's then-general director Erkki Korhonen and administrative director Pekka Kauranen, and announced his resignation. In response, the company nominated Franck to the dual post of Artistic Director and General Music Director. His term in both posts finished in 2013. Franck became music director of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France in September 2015. He is scheduled to stand down as the orchestra's music director at the close of the 2024-2025 season. Unusually for conductors, Franck generally conducts while seated in a chair due to a painful spine condition. Franck and opera director Martina Pickert married in 2006. The couple divorced in 2010.

Selected discography