Mark S. Francis joins Cantemus this year as Music Director following a stellar career as founder and Executive Director of the Arizona School for the Arts (ASA), a Phoenix charter school started in 1995 and recognized as an academic and arts powerhouse (US News and World Report) with an enrollment of 370 students. From its inception ASA partnered with Ballet Arizona, a core group of musicians from the Phoenix Symphony and actors and staff from Phoenix Theatre to fulfill its mission. ASA has been recognized as one of the top four schools in Arizona by the Wall Street Journal. Graduates from ASA have gone on to highly selective colleges, universities and conservatories such as Dartmouth, Georgetown, UC Berkeley, USC, UCLA, Cleveland Conservatory, San Francisco Conservatory, USC Thornton School of Music and Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Many ASA ballet students have gone directly into professional ballet companies such as American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, Royal Flemish Ballet. This fall, ASA graduate Ginger Smith will dance the eponymous role Giselle with Ballet Arizona. ASA graduate David Hallberg is a Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre.
Born in Minnesota, Dr. Francis completed undergraduate and graduate work in music at Augsburg College and Minnesota State University, respectively, and earned his D.M.A. in Choral Music at the University of Arizona. His 30+ years in the educational field include faculty assignments at Minnesota State University, Big Bend College, Central Oregon College and the University of Arizona. Additional studies in Europe include the Goethe Institute in Berlin and advanced study at the Berliner Kirkenmusikschule, Berlin/Spandau, Germany. He has conducted choral ensembles ranging from children' choirs performing Benjamin Britton part songs to the University of Arizona Collegium Musicum, Bach Mass in b minor.
Dr. Francis was named as the first US charter school director panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, Arts in Education Program and evaluated education plans from such arts organizations as the New York Philharmonic, San francisco Symphony and other peer institutions. In addition, Dr. Francis was a panelist for the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture and has been the recipient of numerous grants including a two-year $300M US Department of Education Grant, the Professional Learning Community in Action culminating in a three-day workshop, workshop manual, 1 1/2 hour video and an interactive website.
After a fifteen year hiatus from conducting while serving as the leader of Arizona School for the Arts, Dr. Francis is honored to serve as Music Director and Conductor of Cantemus.
