Taichi Tours Europe with The Cleveland Orchestra

A surreal experience assisting the Cleveland Orchestra on a month-long European tour, including stepping in at short notice to conduct on two occasions (the latter with 5 minutes notice!)
I’m so grateful to the musicians for their focus, flexibility, and incredible energy throughout. It’s hard to describe just how supportive everyone was, and the enthusiasm we felt from our audiences in Budapest and Athens. 

The tour was filled with magical performances with Franz in some of the world’s greatest halls, including my first time at Musikverein! It was such an inspiration to hear the orchestra continually adjust and refine their sound and interpretations over 15 performances across Hamburg, Dortmund, Luxembourg, Paris, Brussels, Bratislava, Linz, Budapest, Vienna, Ljubljana, Thessaloniki, and Athens. Their longest tour since the 60s, and my first professional international orchestra tour.

Now, finally, on my way to the Illinois Symphony Orchestra to open our season with an exciting program featuring Till Eulenspiegel. Onwards!

Taichi Fukumura
Music Director for YOUR Illinois Symphony Orchestra
Assistant Conductor, The Cleveland Orchestra