Hailed as “a very talented conductor who knows her score and her musicians” (Virginia Gazette), Akiko Fujimoto is the Assistant Conductor of the San Antonio Symphony, where she conducts classical, educational and pops concerts as well as the Nutcracker.  In the 2012-2013 season, she will also lead the Symphony’s new Baroque series.

Previously, she served as the Conducting Associate for the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the William & Mary Symphony Orchestra from 2007 through 2011.  As a member of the Virginia Symphony conducting staff, Fujimoto made her debut on the Classics series conducting Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3, “Scottish,” and a world premiere of Behzad Ranjbaran’s Double Concerto for Violin, Viola and Orchestra.   Other orchestras Fujimoto has conducted include the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, National Arts Centre Orchestra in Canada, and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Prior to arriving in Virginia, Fujimoto was the Music Director of the Harvard-Radcliffe Mozart Society Orchestra where she led the MSO to many milestones, including performing with pianist and Mozart scholar Robert Levin. She took a leave from that position during the 2003-2004 season to serve as the Interim Music Director of the Stanford Symphony Orchestra at Stanford University.

A native of Japan, Fujimoto attended high school in California and graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts in music and psychology.  She holds Master of Music degrees in conducting from the Eastman School of Music and Boston University.