Mikko Franck

Mikko Franck (born Helsinki, 1 April 1979) is a Finnish conductor. He began to play the violin at the age of 5. By age 7, he reportedly preferred orchestral scores to all other reading matter. His first favorite score was Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 (the Pathétique) which he used to conduct while listening to a recording on earphones. He continued violin studies at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, beginning in 1992.

In 1995, Franck took an opportunity from the Junior Department at the Sibelius Academy, which was celebrating its anniversary, to conduct an orchestra offered to any student who wished to do so. After this occurred, Jorma Panula immediately enlisted him as a private student. Franck entered Panula's conducting class at the Sibelius Academy in the fall of 1996. He has said of Panula:

"He gave me everything that can be taught about this profession. For instance, we used video as an aid in losing my unnecessary mannerisms."

Franck ended his studies there in 1998 without receiving a diploma because his international career had already begun.

Before age 23, Franck had made his conducting début with all of the leading Scandinavian orchestras, as well as with the Philharmonia Orchestra of London, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Munich Philharmonic, the Berlin Staatsoper (Berlin State Opera) and the Israel Philharmonic. He received a Grammy nomination for "Best Orchestral Performance" for his first recording, which was of music by Jean Sibelius. He is a friend and champion of the works of Einojuhani Rautavaara.

Franck became artistic director of the National Orchestra of Belgium in September 2002. He concluded his tenure with the orchestra in 2007.

In 2004, Franck was named general music director of the Finnish National Opera and officially took up the post in August 2006. In February 2007, he suddenly announced his resignation from this position, claiming a loss of confidence in the company's then-general director Erkki Korhonen and administrative director Pekka Kauranen. However, in November 2007, the company nominated Franck to the dual post of Artistic Director and General Music Director, and in December 2007, officially named him to both posts. His contract is effective 1 January 2008 through 31 July 2011, with an option for a 2-year extension.

Franck married the German opera director Martina Pickert in 2006. He got divorced in 2010.