Conductor Rei Hotoda has been hailed as an inexhaustible dynamo with a deep commitment to reimagining the 21st century concert experience. Her vision can be seen through her thought- provoking programming, passionate allyship to marginalized artists, advocacy for arts education, and an unwavering commitment to presenting many of today’s most notable American composers. Rei has appeared as a guest conductor with several prestigious orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and the symphony orchestras of Toronto, Winnipeg, St. Louis, Detroit, Hawaii and Utah as well as the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, among others. Her interpretations of epic centerpieces of the classical canon such as Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 8 and Britten’s War Requiem, make her one of the most sought- after conductors in the industry. She is a tireless advocate for the music of our time, and most recently conducted premieres by Derek Bermel, Juan Pablo Contreras, Kevin Day, Dinuk Wijeratne, John Wineglass, and Cynthia Lee Wong. As a champion of living composers and an artist that is dedicated to amplifying marginalized voices, Rei’s innovative programming and interdisciplinary collaborations continue to position her as a leader among her peers. Across nearly every concert this past season, Rei has programmed works by black, indigenous, Hispanic, and women composers, including, Grażyna Bacewicz, Juan Pablo Contreras, Gabriela Lena Frank, Damien Geter, Adolphus Hailstork, Jennifer Higdon, Hannah Kendall, Arturo Márquez, Jessie Montgomery, Paola Prestini, Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.
Her success as the Music Director of the Fresno Philharmonic since 2017 has resulted in the extension of her tenure through the 2025 season. She has worked tirelessly to build first-time and unique connections with the Fresno community with an eye toward reaching different audiences. Her programming continues to push through the preconceived notions of the classical concert-going experience. Through her tireless efforts, she has successfully broken down the barriers that often exist between artist and listener and repositioned the Fresno Philharmonic as a leader in the community it serves.
Rei is also an active and critically-acclaimed keyboardist and embraces her time conducting from the piano and harpsichord. Last season she conducted both the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the Fresno Philharmonic from the keyboard in Mozart’s Concerto for Two Pianos in E-flat major. Rei is the proud recipient of several prestigious awards, including the 2006 Taki-Alsop Conducting Fellowship, created by Marin Alsop to mentor women conductors.