Profile

Conductor / Composer / Musicologist / Researcher / Producer

Tomomi Nishimoto endeavors to solve social issues together with localities, schools, and cultural institutions through the creation of interdisciplinary integrated art while using her international performances as a foundation. She researches the primal power of music from a scientific perspective, combining art and science as well as theory and practice in order to pursue her mission of contributing to human happiness and sustained social development.

Through her activities that encompass music, research, and social implementation, Nishimoto is a global leader representing Japan who has built significant international appraisal and influence, as can be seen by her history of international invitations, prominent awards, participation in national projects, and selection by international agencies.

Musical Activities

Nishimoto has been invited to perform by leading orchestras, distinguished national opera houses, and international musical festivals in nearly thirty countries around the world. She has conducted multiple historic performances such as those commemorating the 1,300-year anniversary of the Nara Heijo-kyo Capital, the votive performance in the celebratory service for the 1,200-year anniversary of Mount Koya, the concert commemorating 120 years of diplomatic relations between Japan and Brazil, the concert commemorating the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and China at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing, and more.

In 2012, she began producing IlluminArt (an interdisciplinary integrated artistic unit), creating performances as its Artistic Director and Conductor. Her For Sennyuji Temple Sound Stage: East Meets West (2015) received the Silver Screen award in the Entertainment: Performing Arts division of the US International Film & Video Festival, as well as the World Media Festival's intermedia-globe Silver award for Arts Documentaries. Her Toji Otobutai (2023) won awards in three categories at the US International Awards. Nishimoto is responsible for the World Premiere Series Brought Together with the Culture and Arts of ASEAN Nations, the world premiere of the INNOVATION OPERA, the production of new stages inside Japan and abroad, the "Tomomi Nishimoto Produces: Music Edutainment - Creating the Next Generation of Music" program commissioned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Mysterious Japan program broadcast across Asia by CNBC Asia, and more. Beginning in 2013, she has been invited yearly to the Vatican Music Festival, becoming the youngest recipient of the Honor of Fondazione Pro Musica e Arte Sacre in Vatican in 2014 alongside Mr. Nikolaus Harnoncourt. She has received many other awards, including the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Special Award in 2024.

Nishimoto acted as Ambassador and Producer for the Italian national pavilion and the Holy See pavilion at Expo 2025, Osaka, Kansai, Japan. At the Holy See pavilion, with its theme of "Beauty Brings Hope," she organized the official concert held for the Vatican's National Day Event that was broadcast around the world by Vatican News. At the Italian pavilion, with its theme of "Art Regenerates Life," Nishimoto produced "A Concert of Music and Prayer Performed by the Tensho Embassy," the Entrepreneurship Concert, and more.

Documentaries in which she represents Japan as an artist are broadcast and streamed to countries around the world by outlets including CNN International, ZDF, the Franco-German TV network Arte, and more.

Research Activities

In 2007, Nishimoto was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. She has received scholarships from multiple US-based foundations, and completed the Executive Education program at the Harvard Kennedy School. She is a Visiting Professor at the Osaka College of Music and the Professional University of Beauty & Wellness, and an Advisory Board Member at the Toyo Bunko Museum.

Nishimoto is a member and Sub-project Manager / Principal Investigator for Goal 9 of the Moonshot Research and Development program by the Cabinet Office's Japan Science and Technology Agency, and she furthers research at Hiroshima University as a Specially Appointed Senior Academic Researcher.

The theme of her research is "Resilience through music."

Through her joint research on Yamaha's Active Field Control spatial audio technology, Nishimoto combined academic research and practice with regards to acoustics, successfully leading a world's first large-scale classical concert that also acted as a state-of-the-art verification test.

Educational and Social Activities

Nishimoto holds interdisciplinary performances that broadly bring research results back to society through IlluminArt, and her hands-on course "Tomomi Nishimoto's Music Edutainment" (integrated art and science STEAM education through music) is taught at schools around Japan (from elementary schools to universities).

Through her volunteer and charity work at international music festivals and official functions, Nishimoto provides aid for difficult situations faced by locations around the world, and continuously provides donations and assistance contributing to the preservation and restoration of cultural and spiritual heritage. Within Japan, she holds concerts together with NPOs and others to aid the reconstruction and more of disaster sites such as Fukushima and Kumamoto.

IlluminArt was founded by Artistic Director Tomomi Nishimoto. With an orchestra, opera, ballet, and chorus, its activities now spread across the globe as it realizes its three visions of creating a composite art through tradition and innovation, premiering works of fusion that bring Asia together through the cultural arts, and co-creating using both music and science. IlluminArt has gained worldwide renown, receiving an honorary title from the Vatican Music Festival, international awards, and the Japan Media Arts Festival's Excellence Prize, as well as appearing on television and in commercials.

Honorary Partner Orchestra of the Vatican Music Festival

Formed by Artistic Director Tomomi Nishimoto, the IlluminArt Philharmonic Orchestra is gaining worldwide attention through its premieres of new works and its activities that cross borders.

In 2013 the Philharmonic was the first Asian orchestra in history to perform at the Vatican, and since then has been invited as a main orchestra alongside the Vienna Philharmonic, performing the Holy Mass Celebrated on Behalf of the Pope at Saint Peter's Basilica that is broadcast to approximately 35 countries. They also began activities in China after being invited there in 2018, successfully completing eight performances. In 2019, they were named as the orchestra for the European Foundation for Support of Culture's first Japan tour.

IlluminArt brings art that is a composite of tradition and innovation to the world, such as "Sennyuji Temple Sound Stage: East Meets West" (Winner of the Silver Screen award in the Entertainment: Performing Arts division of the US International Film Video Festival as well as the World Media Festival's intermedia-globe Silver award for Arts Documentaries); a musical memorial service commemorating the 1200-year anniversary of Mount Koyasan; performances of the opera Madame Butterfly at Kyoto Minamiza, Shochikuza Theatre, and Shinbashi Enbujo; the Imperial Hotel Arts Festival; a performance commemorating Hirado City's recognition as a World Heritage site; a performance commemorating Yakushiji Temple's recognition as a World Heritage site; INNOVATION OPERA: Stupa-The New Sotoba-Komachi, and more. The group has a wide range of activities, such as bringing Asian culture to the world through a concert performance commemorating the 50th anniversary of the normalization of relations between Japan and Korea, a performance at Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City Opera House, world premiere performances of commissioned pieces by composers in various Asian countries, and more. NHK-FM's "Nagasaki: The Tone of Prayer" won them the 2018 National Arts Festival's Excellence Award in the radio documentary division. The group also has many appearances on TV and in commercials.

Honorary Partner Chorus of the Vatican Music Festival

The IlluminArt Chorus is led by Artistic Director Tomomi Nishimoto, and it aims to contribute to society through art and culture primarily through stage production activities, including performances of restorations of lost music, holding workshops, and more. As of 2014, the Chorus's performance at the Holy Mass Celebrated on Behalf of the Pope at Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican Music Festival is broadcast live around the world by Vatican Radio.

The Chorus has appeared in a musical memorial service commemorating the 1200-year anniversary of Mount Koyasan; "Sennyuji Temple Sound Stage: East Meets West"; performances of the opera Madame Butterfly at Kyoto Minamiza, Shochikuza Theatre, and Shinbashi Enbujo; the Imperial Hotel Arts Festival; the world premiere of INNOVATION OPERA: Stupa-The New Sotoba-Komachi, and more.