“Michael Francis raised his right hand. Normally when he does this, he’s holding a baton,” writes Jay Cridlin in last Thursday’s (12/12) Tampa Bay Times (FL). “Before him stood his wife, his daughter, and dozens of immigrants from 26 nations … all raising their right hands, too. The music director of the Florida Orchestra … British since birth in 1976, turned to a flag and spoke. ‘I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America…’ Francis is thoroughly English … but he was fascinated by the culture of America, home of Gershwin and Bernstein, Springsteen and Nirvana…. He first performed here at 16…. When he was appointed music director in 2014, he was Florida Orchestra’s third straight foreign-born leader, following German Stefan Sanderling and Chinese-Indonesian Jahja Ling. He didn’t think about becoming an American citizen until he married one…. Michael and [his wife] Cindy’s daughter, Annabella, has dual citizenship by virtue of Michael’s British heritage…. ‘I feel just as connected to their Americanness as they do to my Britishness,’ he said…. Annabella ran up to her father, who leaned down for a hug. ‘You’re American!’ she said. ‘I’m an American now, yes,’ he said. ‘Isn’t that exciting?’ ”
In photo: New American citizen Michael Francis, music director of the Florida Orchestra, celebrates with his wife, Cindy, and their daughter, Annabella. Photo by Octavio Jones / Tampa Bay Times
