Akiko Fujimoto is the newly appointed Music Director of the Mid-Texas Symphony, beginning with the 2019/20 season. Fujimoto is currently Associate Conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra, where upcoming concerts include two programs for Sommerfest and her subscription debut in March 2020.

Fujimoto has guest conducted the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, Houston Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Corpus Christi Symphony, Round Rock Symphony and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. She has also conducted the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at St. Magnus Festival and Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra as a participant in the Young Conductors Programme. Future engagements include the North Carolina Symphony, Lexington Philharmonic, Florida Orchestra and Portland (ME) Symphony.

Prior to arriving in Minnesota, Fujimoto served as Associate Conductor of the San Antonio Symphony, where highlights included a gala featuring violinist Gil Shaham in Brahms’ Violin Concerto and fully staged ballet productions of Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. She also served as the conducting associate for the Virginia Symphony.

Fujimoto held positions both at Harvard University where she directed the Mozart Society Orchestra and at Stanford University where she served as the interim music director of the Stanford Symphony Orchestra. She also held an appointment as Director of Orchestras at the College of William & Mary.

Born in Japan, Fujimoto moved to the United States at age 14. She attended Stanford University where she studied music and psychology and holds advanced degrees in conducting from the Eastman School of Music and Boston University. Additionally, Fujimoto was cover conductor for Esa-Pekka Salonen, Zubin Mehta and Susanna Mälkki at the Los Angeles Philharmonic.