Taichi Fukumura is the newly appointed Music Director of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, beginning in the 2024-25 season. Previously, he served as the Assistant Conductor of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, where he led over 110 concerts. Taichi is a four-time recipient of the Solti Foundation Career Assistance Award (2021-2024) and earned Second Prize at The Mahler Competition 2023. His impressive conducting experience also includes collaborations with the Boston Symphony, Chicago Sinfonietta, Bamberg Symphony, and Orquesta de Cámara de Bellas Artes in Mexico.