Keitaro Harada will become Music and Artistic Director of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra

The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance (DPAA) announced its appointment of conductor Keitaro Harada as the next Music and Artistic Director of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra (DPO).
Maestro Harada will become the fifth Music Director in the orchestra’s 92-year history, preceded by founder Paul Katz (1933–1975), Charles Wendleken-Wilson (1975–1987), Isaiah Jackson (1987-1995), and Neal Gittleman (1995–present).

Harada will begin his tenure during the 2024–2025 season as Music Director Designate; he’ll assume the role of Music and Artistic Director on July 1, 2025.

＜ Message from Keitaro Harada ＞
I am honored to join the DPAA family as Music and Artistic Director of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. As the proud leader of two profound American institutions, I look forward to immersing myself in the DPAA community as I continue in my present role as Music and Artistic Director with the Savannah Philharmonic.

The DPAA stands out to me as it brings together three art forms I absolutely love: orchestra, opera, and ballet. Dayton’s rich history and vibrant art scene will provide us with the inspiration and imagination to build collaborations that can only be achieved at DPAA. Having recently performed together, we began to discover the endless possibilities of our music-making and great community. I am deeply grateful to serve as their Music and Artistic Director.

As I build new relationships in the Dayton community and deepen my relationships in the Savannah community, I believe these 2 cities have personalities that can benefit from this tandem experience. I cherish the Savannah Philharmonic, an organization that will forever be near to my heart as providing me with my first Music Director opportunity while wholeheartedly embracing the Dayton community as we bring the performing arts to life throughout the region.

＜ About Dayton Performing Arts Alliance ＞
Dayton Performing Arts Alliance (DPAA) was formed in a groundbreaking and innovative merger between Dayton Ballet, Dayton Opera, and Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Together, they are the largest performing arts organization in the greater Dayton community, with a mission to be the community’s indispensable source for traditional, diverse, and innovative experiences in ballet, opera, and orchestral music. The vision of DPAA is to transform lives through the power of music and dance. In addition, DPAA offers various performance and education programs, setting a new standard for artistic excellence. DPAA performances reach an audience of more than 90,000 people annually, and their rich arts education programming serves over 50,000 schoolchildren in 150 schools in southwest Ohio. These performances and education initiatives are made possible partly through significant support from the Ohio Arts Council, Culture Works, Montgomery County, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Learn more at daytonperformingarts.org.

— For more information on DPAA’s announcement, please see below ;
https://daytonperformingarts.org/

— Biography of Keitaro Harada ;
https://www.japanarts.co.jp/artist/keitaroharada/