Mikko Franck in conversation with Stephan Koncz (18 min.)

Seiji Ozawa was originally to perform Maurice Ravel’s enchanting fairy tale opera L'Enfant et les sortilèges with the Berliner Philharmoniker in January 2018, but unfortunately the Japanese conductor’s health prevented him from travelling to Europe. Luckily, Mikko Franck, who made his debut with the orchestra in 2003 when he was 24 years old, made a highly suitable replacement. Franck, who was also trained as a violinist, is one of a globally successful group of conductors who studied with the Finnish master Jorma Panula. Before Franck became the musical director of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France in September 2015, he held leading positions in Belgium and with Finnish National Opera. In this interview, Mikko Franck talks to the Philharmoniker’s cellist Stephan Koncz.