In 1995 Tomomi Nishimoto was regularly sneaking into an auditorium to watch an esteemed Bolshoi maestro rehearse. Seven years later, she was appointed the first Japanese chief conductor of Russia's state-run Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra Millennium.
The recent chapters of Nishimoto's career might sound like something out of a fairy tale. But the more you learn about how she arrived at that podium, the more you realize that it wasn't pixie-dust that got her there. It all comes down to hard work and an iron will.
In person, the 32-year-old conductor is a calm, confident and open individual, belying the intensity and sternness that she often must display when the baton is in her hand. She is obviously passionate about music, but when speaking about her profession, she is a level-headed pragmatist, who knows exactly what she wants and how to get it.