Christopher Franklin
American conductor Christopher Franklin has been named Principal Conductor of the Minnesota Opera on a three-year contract beginning in May 2024.
Franklin has performed in theaters throughout the world such as the Musikverein and the Konzerthaus in Vienna, Herkulessaal in Munich, Teatro Real Madrid, Philharmonie in Köln, Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, Alte Oper in Frankfurt, Festspielhaus in Baden-Baden, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, Palau de les Arts in Valencia, Teatro de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, Cadogan Hall in London and in the United States.
He began studying the violin at the age of six in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After completing a BA in violin and German literature at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, he earned his MM in conducting at the University of Illinois and his DMA at the Peabody Conservatory with Frederik Prausnitz. He was awarded a scholarship to study at the Tanglewood Music Center, where he worked with Seiji Ozawa, Robert Spano, and Gustav Meier, and subsequently, a Fulbright Fellowship to study at the Musikhochschule in Saarbrücken. He began his conducting studies with Charles Bruck at the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors in Hancock, Maine. He lives in Lucca, Italy.
Franklin was a first-prize winner of the Gino Marinuzzi International Conducting Competition. After winning the La Bottega-Toti dal Monte Competition in Treviso he was named Resident Conductor and assistant to Peter Maag at the Teatro Comunale di Treviso where he had his Italian debut. He also attended the conducting class of Gianluigi Gelmetti at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena where he was awarded the prestigious Franco Ferrara Prize.
