Francis Coleman

Francis Coleman (12 January 192410 April 2008) was a conductor and television producer and director. Early life and education Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Coleman began working in an office at the age of fourteen while studying music at evening classes. He continued his musical education at McGill University, the Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique du Québec and then the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, before conducting under Pierre Monteux. Career In Canada Coleman conducted a range of ensembles, including the Royal Canadian Air Force band, and was appointed the first musical director of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. This led him to become the editor of Dance Magazine. He also conducted concerts broadcast for CBC Radio, and it was this which attracted him to work on CBFT, the first television station in Canada, when it launched in September 1952. He initially worked on the bilingual news programme, and had produced more than 500 shows by 1958, including coverage of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom's coronation.