Ms. Tomomi Nishimoto was born in Osaka, Japan in 1970. While studying music at Osaka College of Music, she started her conducting career as an assistant conductor of The College Opera House and the Kansai Opera. In 1996, she entered St. Peterburg National School of Music in Russia, and studied with Viktor Fedotov and Ilya Moussin. She also was a research student of conducting at Mariinsky Theater, Kirov.

In 1998, Ms. Tomomi Nishimoto made a debut to Japan by conducting Kyoto Symphony Orchestra, which was followed by series of successful conducting of major Japanese orchestras including Japan Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic , Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, Century Orchestra Osaka, Osaka Symphoniker, Operahouse Orchesrta Osaka, Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra, Sapporo Symphonic Orchestra, and Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra.

Being a promising, young artist, Ms. Tomomi Nishimoto was awarded with Idemitsu Award in 1999. She also received St. Stanislav Medal of Russia for her highly acclaimed performance of a Mozart program in 1999 with a chamber orchestra, which consisted of musicians of St. Peterburg Philharmonic (former Leningrad Philharmonic). In the following years, she was awarded Sakuya Konohana Award from the City of Osaka (2000), ABC Music Award (2002) and the Special Award from the 21st Century Association (2002).

In 2002, Ms. Tomomi Nishimoto was appointed Chief Conductor of Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra. "Millenium" She will bring the orchestra to Japan in September 2002.

Ms. Tomomi Nishimoto is pursuing an active conducting career also with opera and ballet works. Among many successful performances, she scored an exceptional success in 2002 with the collaborative performance of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin by Mariinsky Theater and Kansai Opera, in which she was the music director and the conductor.

IlluminArt Philharmonic Orchestra

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.