Diverse in music as in life, Francisco Herrera is a violist, conductor, linguist, seminarian, and a frequent impetus for new ensembles.  In addition to being the initiator behind the Accende Ensemble, he also formed the Yurodivy String Quartet and The Symphony in Progress - a youth orchestra in his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri. 

At the University of Missouri - Kansas City, Francisco studied viola with Stephen Kruse and conducting with Gary Hill.  He also studied conducting on a private basis with Kansas City Youth Symphony conductor, Glenn Block.

After completing his Bachelor’s in Music, in September of 1999 Francisco then moved to Geneva, Switzerland to study conducting with Sheldon Morgenstern while pursuing concurrent viola studies with Nicola Pache at the Conservatoire Superieur de Geneve. During these years in Europe his touring included destinations from Lisbon, Portugal to Pristina, Kosovo with orchestras, chamber music, and humanitarian music missions. And while in Geneva, he formed and conducted multiple chamber ensembles with repertoire that spanned the Baroque to Modern eras.

While abroad he also developed a gift for languages – Spanish, German, and French – which landed him numerous engagements as an interpreter and teacher with high school students, bankers, diplomats, and non-governmental organizations such as the UN, the World Council of Churches, and Islamic Relief.

Since returning to the United States in 2005, Francisco has been in the candidacy process for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  With his eye on becoming a pastor, he currently completing a Master’s of Divinity at the Chicago Theological Seminary in Hyde Park.