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. 

One of the centerpieces of Rei’s 23/24 season was her recent Carnegie Hall debut conducting the American Composer’s Orchestra in a compelling program that was an integral part of the Hall’s citywide festival, Fall of the Weimar Republic: Dancing on the Precipice. She led the ensemble in two world premieres—John Glover’s Right Now and Tonia Ko’s Her Land, Expanded—as well as in the New York premiere of “Clans” from Jerod Impichcha̲achaaha' Tate’s Lowak Shoppala.‍

As a guest conductor, Rei has appeared 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 and Kansas City Symphony, among others. 

Rei’s innovative programming and interdisciplinary collaborations continue to position her as a leader among her peers. She is an advocate for the music of our time and purposefully programs repertoire that represents a diverse community of artists, including works by Gabriela Lena Frank, Jessie Montgomery, Juan Pablo Contreras, John Wineglass, Damien Geter, Adolphus Hailstork, Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, Dinuk Wijeratne, Viet Cuong, Guillaume Connesson, Hitomi Oba, and Erika Oba. 

Currently serving as the Music Director of the Fresno Philharmonic, Rei has worked tirelessly to build connections with the Fresno community. Her programming continues to push through the preconceived notions of the classical concert going experience, establishing the Fresno Philharmonic as an industry leader.

Throughout her tenure as Music Director, Rei has launched several series and special projects aimed toward expanding the reach and furthering the artistic growth of the Fresno Philharmonic. From the digital marketplace with such programs as the Green Room series with fellow Philharmonic musicians and “Rise Up!” a series created to elevate the voices of Black composers to in masterworks programs such as the Mahler Here and Now series, a multi-season survey that juxtaposes several of Mahler’s symphonies with works by leading compositional voices of today to Stay Tuned the reimaging of the post-concert talkback with featured musicians and composers, Rei’s collaboration with the Philharmonic has raised the profile of the Philharmonic across the nation.

In the 24/25 season, Rei and the Philharmonic undertake their largest project to date, Cultural Crossroads, a new multi-season series of commissions exploring and celebrating the diverse cultures of the Fresno region. A central aspect of the vision for Cultural Crossroads is collaboration with community-based organizations, artists, and culture bearers in the presentation of new works by emerging California composers. 

Rei is also an active and critically acclaimed keyboardist and embraces her time conducting from the piano and harpsichord. One of the highlights of her recent Carnegie Hall debut was leading the American Composers Orchestra from the keyboard in George Antheil’s A Jazz Symphony. Moreover, she has also recently conducted the Fresno Philharmonic (Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos and Mozart’s Concerto for Two Pianos, K365) and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (Mozart’s Concerto for Two Pianos, K265) from the keyboard as well.

Rei is the proud recipient of several prestigious awards, including the 2006 Taki-Alsop Conducting Fellowship, created by Marin Alsop to mentor women conductors.

Learn more at reihotoda.com. ‍

Photo by Aleks Karjaka