FORT WORTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
“Few musical experiences are as gratifying as a truly distinguished performance debut ... Franco got performances that were incisive, expressive, and, indeed, eloquent. If I were running the FWSO, I would have handed him a contract for his next main-season gig as soon as he walked off the stage.”
DALLAS MORNING NEWS
TULSA SIGNATURE SYMPHONY
“The performance [Mahler Symphony No. 2] had all the sonic power one could imagine an ensemble this size could produce, and under Franco’s deft direction, that power was presented in a focused and often exhilarating way…. the Signature Symphony’s performance was…an emotionally perfect performance.”
TULSA WORLD
OKLAHOMA CITY PHILHARMONIC
"Franco was meticulous about shaping musical phrases for optimal impact, and the orchestra responded with irresistible flair. The suite's bold declamations were especially satisfying, as were those passages played with hushed intensity. This celebration of all things Viennese can easily trip up a conductor, but Franco was up to the challenge, particularly in the way he handled the work's many difficult transitions." [Richard Strauss Suite from Der Rosenkavalier]
THE OKLAHOMAN
PHILHARMONIA OF KANSAS CITY
“He’s a gifted conductor with sweep and imagination and communicative abilities. I predict great things for Franco ... With his high level of musicianship, creative programming and ingratiating manner, he breathed new life into the Philharmonia.
KANSAS CITY STAR
LAKE FOREST SYMPHONY
“In the first movement, Franco articulated the sounds of each section, layer by layer ... he summoned a wave of woodwinds so smoothly that it seemed to be breaking on a remote shore ... The conductor brought out the urgency of the score, which was evident in every measure ... [Franco] has a vibrant podium manner and a confident technique ... The bar keeps getting higher and higher.” [Beethoven Symphony No. 3]
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
EL PASO SYMPHONY
"That the young maestro ... made it sound so easy spoke volumes about his musical leadership... The Bizet symphony demanded restraint, discipline and subtlety. Franco and the musicians responded in kind, particularly on the hauntingly beautiful second movement, with its sinewy oboe lines and pizzicato violas."
EL PASO TIMES
EAFIT SYMPHONY
“[A conductor] with a defined personality and authority to establish his musical criteria. The greatness of his conducting lies in his ability to unify the work without sacrificing its intensity, with a clear concept of dynamics and colors.”
EL COLOMBIANO
FORT WORTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
“Mr. Franco displayed striking elquence; one hopes to hear more from him soon.”
DALLAS MORNING NEWS