“ ‘I guess you could say this program really sums who I am up as a musician,’ says pianist and conductor Rei Hotoda, who, along with five other finalists, is vying for the position of Asheville Symphony Orchestra Music Director,” writes Alli Marshall in Wednesday’s (10/11) Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC). “Hotoda leads the Asheville Symphony on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 8 p.m. The program, titled ‘Journeys,’ speaks to her roots and aspirations—and introduces the musician to Asheville.… Question: At what point in your training or career did you realize you wanted to be a conductor instead of primarily a pianist? Rei Hotoda: I can remember the moment so clearly. It was a real ‘ah ha’ moment for me. I was attending a League of American Orchestras Conference, and was given the opportunity to work with a full orchestra [in a 2013 masterclass with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Music Director David Robertson]. I immediately fell in love with the podium. From there, I studied with Gustav Meier at Peabody for two years and then auditioned for my first job as professional conductor with the Winnipeg Symphony…. I haven’t looked back since.”
Posted October 20, 2017
Rei Hotoda photo by Todd Rosenberg
