Mr. Udagawa is at home in popular and contemporary music as well as the standard symphonic repertoire. His programs for the 2007-2008 season include Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Debussy La Mer, Bizet Symphony in C, Sibelius Symphony No.5, and Brahms Violin Concerto, as well as special education, holiday, and pops programs.

Yoichi Udagawa, the son of a nuclear physicist father and singer/artist mother, was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. His family immigrated to the United States soon thereafter. He began playing the violin at age four and made his conducting debut at the age of fifteen. After receiving a music degree from the University of Texas at Austin, he continued advanced studies in conducting with Gunther Schuller, Seiji Ozawa, Morihiro Okabe, and Henry Charles Smith.

A fan of many different styles of music, Mr. Udagawa also enjoys performing gospel music in addition to his conducting activities. He is also an accomplished violinist and a devoted student of history, philosophy, and art.