A distinguished conductor with Windsor Symphony Orchestra is battling cancer for the second time.
Maestro Robert Franz has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma despite successfully undergoing cancer treatment three years ago.
Franz began treatment at the Windsor Regional Cancer Centre two weeks ago, and will continue chemotherapy for the next three months.
While Franz was scheduled to conduct the WSO's remaining OnStage and Café concerts, they will now be led by Resident Conductor, Geoffrey Larson. However, he will lead the two final Masterworks concerts, Lucid Dreams Cello Concerto at the end of March and the season's closing concert, Masterworks Tchaikovsky at the beginning of May.
Franz says he noticed something wasn't right about two months ago.
"I started to develop a couple of little aches and pains that were kind of uncommon, and so I ended up going to the doctor and through a bunch of tests we discovered a couple of months ago this Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma had returned. Same exact cancer that I had last time, but sort of a different format, it's not a tumour this time it's more like a mass."
He says the support has been overwhelming.
"When you see people around you who love you, and support you, it really is a huge boost, and really gives me a reason - as if I didn't have one already - but a reason to go on and to really push."
He adds that he's beyond thankful that he'll be able to conduct the two shows.
"When I get up on the podium, I don't think about cancer, I don't think about pain, I don't think about anything except making music. It's the most extraordinary experience, and it's so cathartic for me, and it feels so good to be able to make music and to share music with people."
In late spring, Franz will be receiving a stem cell transplant to help reboot his system.
Franz has been the music director of the WSO for the past 12 years.
-with files from AM800's The Shift with guest host Kristen Siapas