T
hough he’s conducted for the Tuscon Symphony Orchestra several times during the last five years, Keitaro Harada’s January performance was something of a debut.
He told the Arizona Daily Star, “most of my concerts with TSO have been pops.” Harada said he looked forward to the chance to step up to the podium to present works by Mozart, Manuel de Falla, and Brahms.
The concert came on the heels of a sold out debut in Tokyo, Japan, where he was born.
The Arizona Star’s Cathalena Burch raved over his treatment of Mozart’s eight-minute Symphony No. 32 in G Major, calling it “sublime.”
The Tucson performances were sold out as well, and Harada served as a gracious host as well as an adept performer. After the Saturday night intermission, Harada commented from the podium that he’d been in the lobby to greet the patrons. He said he was thrilled that several told him his name on the bill was the reason for their attendance.
When not in Tucson or planning blockbusters in Tokyo, Harada’s also the associate conductor for the Richmond Symphony in Richmond, Virginia.
Harada’s next performance in Tucson will be in April, when he leads a production of Donizetti’s “The Daughter of the Regiment.”
