Since his debut with the NHK Symphony Orchestra at the age of 22, Otomo has led the highly competitive music scene of Japan. He currently serves as Music Director at the Ryukyu Symphony Orchestra (Okinawa) and Artistic Director of Takasaki City Theatre, and previously held the posts of Principal Conductor/Music Director at the Japan Philharmonic, Tokyo, Kyoto and Gunma Symphony Orchestras and Osaka Philharmonic. Otomo has appeared repeatedly with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Romania, Indianapolis Symphony, Hawaii Symphony, and he led the Philharmonia Orchestra on its tour to Japan. Otomo has performed with numerous world-renowned soloists, such as Radu Lupu, Mikhail Pletnev, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Nobuko Imai, Mstislav Rostropovich, among the others.
Well-known for his wide repertoire ranging from classical to contemporary works, Otomo has premiered numerous new works, conducting especially the first performances in Japan of several pieces by James MacMillan and the opera “A Flowering Tree” by John Adams. He was also awarded for his performance of Italian premier of Shigeaki Saegusa’s Jr. Butterfly at the Puccini Festival.