Robert Franz (conductor)
Canadian conductor (1968–2025)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robert John Franz Jr. (March 10, 1968 – September 2, 2025) was a Canadian conductor.[1][2]
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March 10, 1968
- Conductor
- music director
- artistic director
Robert Franz | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | Robert John Franz Jr. March 10, 1968 Kingston, New York, U.S. |
| Died | September 2, 2025 (aged 57) Windsor, Ontario, Canada |
| Alma mater | University of North Carolina School of the Arts (BMus) (MMus) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1997–2025 |
| Employer | Windsor Symphony Orchestra (2013–2025) |
| Spouse |
Brandon Atkins (m. 2014) |
| Children | 3 |
Life and work
Franz was born on March 10, 1968 in Kingston, New York.[3][4] He obtained a bachelor of music degree in oboe performance and master of music degree in conducting, both from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts School of Music.[5]
Franz started his career in 1997, as associate conductor of the Louisville Orchestra.[6] He held the titles of music director of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra,[7] artistic director of the Boise Baroque Orchestra,[8] and music director of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts Symphony Orchestra, among others.[5]
Franz married Brandon Atkins, an epidemiologist, in November 2014, and they had three daughters.[2][3][7] He died in Windsor, Ontario on September 2, 2025, at the age of 57, after suffering from non-Hodgkin lymphoma.[9][4]