A new era is about to begin for the Las Vegas Philharmonic.
By Debbie Hall
On Oct. 17, Rei Hotoda will take the podium for her first concert as the orchestra’s Music Director, officially beginning a four-year tenure that brings a nationally recognized conductor, pianist and champion of contemporary music to Las Vegas. For the audience, the concert provides the first opportunity to see Hotoda officially step into her new role.
“When audiences experience live orchestral music, it is not a two-dimensional performance. It is four-dimensional with all of the senses are being engaged as an audience member is seeing everything, hearing everything, and feeling the music, which is really important to me,” said Hotoda.
For Hotoda, the new position represents more than a title. She has relocated to Las Vegas with her family and is taking on a role that reaches beyond the concert stage, with responsibilities that include artistic leadership, audience development, education programming, special projects and donor stewardship.
But at the center of it all are the musicians.
That enthusiasm for the musicians is central to Hotoda’s vision as she begins her tenure. Her programming reflects a willingness to move comfortably between beloved works of the orchestral canon and music being created today.
Her inaugural 2026–2027 season includes a new commission by James Lee III, music by Las Vegas composers Michael Torke and Viet Cuong, and appearances by acclaimed guest artists Michelle Cann and Joyce Yang.
The season also features major works including Ravel’s Boléro and Respighi’s Pines of Rome, while members of the Philharmonic will be placed in the spotlight, including Principal Timpanist Preston Spisak, who will perform James Oliverio’s Dynasty Concerto for Two Timpani.
Hotoda is known for performances that combine emotional intensity, musical sophistication and an adventurous approach to programming. The Spokesman-Review praised her conducting as “the most gripping, most authentic emotional experience possible.”
A distinguished pianist as well as conductor, Hotoda brings an additional dimension to her work on the podium. She has a particular passion for conducting from the keyboard and has play-conducted with ensembles including the American Composers Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Fresno Philharmonic, Las Vegas Philharmonic and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
Her career has included appearances with the Chicago, Detroit, Hawaii, Kansas City, Richmond, San Diego, St. Louis and Utah symphony orchestras, among others.
Hotoda also has a strong connection to contemporary music. She has championed living composers and emerging artistic voices throughout her career, including leading the American Composers Orchestra’s EarShot Readings in New York City, which featured premieres by six emerging composers.
Her work has included collaborations with composers such as Guillaume Connesson, Viet Cuong, Damien Geter, Gabriela Lena Frank, Vivian Fung, Wynton Marsalis, Jessie Montgomery, Dinuk Wijeratne and Jon Wineglass.
That creative approach could prove particularly meaningful in Las Vegas, a city where the arts continue to expand beyond traditional boundaries.
“It is the moment when we are embarking on a new era with the Las Vegas Philharmonic, as the new music director here, but also with this incredible orchestra and community,” explained Hotoda, who relocated to Las Vegas in June.
Hotoda’s role will extend into the community as she works with Philharmonic staff on education programming and special projects and collaborates with the administration to develop new audiences and strengthen relationships with supporters.
She also brings experience from her role as Music Director of the Fresno Philharmonic, where she has developed programming centered on contemporary composers, community engagement and large-scale artistic projects. Her contract with Fresno was recently renewed through the 2028–2029 season.
Now Las Vegas becomes another part of Hotoda’s artistic story.
Her first concert on Oct. 17 is more than the opening performance of a new season. It is the first public chapter of a four-year relationship between a conductor, an orchestra and the community they serve.
Hotoda is ready to embrace the possibilities.
For a city known for reinvention, her arrival brings an artistic leader who sees an orchestra not as a fixed institution, but as a creative force that can reach new audiences, explore new music, and connect people through the shared experience of live performance.
To learn more, visit lvphil.org or call 702.258.5438. Follow the Las Vegas Philharmonic on Facebook @lasvegasphilharmonic and on Instagram @lvphil.
