Kimo Furumoto, is celebrating his 11th season with the symphony in 2019-2020. He is widely known for his innovative concert programming, was named Conductor and Music Director of the Rio Hondo Symphony beginning with the 77th season in 2009.

Furumoto is the conductor and music director of the Huntington Symphony Orchestra in West Virginia. During the last twelve years under his baton, the orchestra has enjoyed record attendance. Furumoto also serves as Associate Professor at California State University, Fullerton where he is music director of the university’s orchestra and opera theater. During his career Furumoto has served as assistant conductor of the Lyric Mountain Festival for the Performing Arts and of the Lexington Philharmonic. Guest conductor appearances include numerous regional orchestras, including the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Central Ohio Symphony and River Cities Symphony. He made his international conducting debut with the Kurpfalzisches Kammerorchester of Mannheim, Germany.

Previously Furumoto served as orchestra director on the faculties of Ohio University and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. His numerous appearances include conducting a concert at the critically acclaimed Mass-in-Concert series at New York’s Lincoln Concert for the Performing Arts.

After interning as conducting assistant with the Cincinnati Symphony in 1988, Furumoto returned as guest assistant conductor. He has also served as associate conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra and of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra with Keith Lockhart.
He holds conducting degrees from Chapman University and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. The enclosed audio file of Kimo Furumoto’s preview was recorded on Friday Morning, October 2, 2009.