Mikko Franck

Mikko Franck was born in 1979 in Helsinki, Finland. He began his conducting career at the early age of 17 and has since worked with major orchestras and opera houses across the world. 
From 2002 to 2007, Mikko Franck was Music Director of the Orchestre National de Belgique. In 2006, he took up the position of General Music Director of Finnish National Opera, and the following year was appointed Artistic Director and General Music Director, a dual position he held until August 2013. 
In September 2015, Mikko Franck became Music Director of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France; his initial contract with the orchestra has been extended until September 2022. Since assuming this position, he has taken the orchestra on tours of Europe, China and South Korea. 2019/20 will see a further tour to China and to Japan. In recent seasons, as well as fulfilling a busy concert schedule in Paris, Mikko Franck has been invited by the Cleveland Orchestra, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks and the Berliner Philharmoniker, amongst others. He made his debut at the Wiener Staatsoper in 2014 and has since conducted here La Bohème, Lohengrin, Josephs Legende, Verklungene Feste, Tosca, Salome, Elektra, La Fanciulla del West, Die tote Stadt, and Tristan und Isolde. During the 2019-20 season, he returns to Vienna for productions of Otello and Salome. In February 2018, Mikko Franck was nominated Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF France. Upon his nomination he stated: “Every child is unique; every life is important. Every child, regardless of their origin, should have the right to live in a safe and healthy environment, to follow their dreams and to realise their full potential”.