“When Rei Hotoda and the Fresno Philharmonic finished a raucous March performance of the conductor’s ambitious program—one that began with a song composed 14 years ago and ended with a century-old Tchaikovsky classic—the Saroyan Theatre audience refused to let her leave,” writes Rory Appleton in Tuesday’s (6/6) Fresno Bee (Calif.). “It brought Hotoda back to the stage for a bow. Again. And again. And again…. The Fresno Philharmonic has named Hotoda as its new musical director…. She will replace Theodore Kuchar, who left the orchestra in 2016…. She is the first woman to hold the position in the philharmonic’s 63-year history…. Hotoda … finishes her stint as the Utah Symphony’s associate conductor in August…. This will be her first gig as a music director, having also served as assistant conductor for the Dallas Symphony and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. The new director hopes to entrench herself within the community as soon as possible…. ‘One idea I have is Beethoven and brews. We could do piano sonatas in a bar…. I want to showcase [the musicians] in a more intimate setting, that way people get to know the players more.’ Hotoda, also plans to bring more contemporary music to the Fresno Philharmonic.”
Posted June 7, 2017
Rei Hotoda photo by Todd Rosenberg
