In December, Midori joined three young colleagues, violinist Ellinor D’Mellon, violist Charlotte Stickel and cellist Annette Jakovcic, on a musical tour of Nepal under the auspices of ICEP, the International Community Engagement Program. Through collaborations with 19 local organizations in Kathmandu and Pokhara, the ICEP musicians were able to spend time with groups of schoolchildren and with their teachers, with patients and medical personnel in hospitals, and also with residents of several shelters and care facilities. These were wide-ranging experiences, as the ICEP Quartet performed works by Beethoven, Saint-Saëns and Rossini, and in return were treated to various hosts’ renditions of Nepali instrumental music, songs and dances, along with convivial get-togethers over food and conversation.

On the final day of their tour, the ICEP Quartet joined in a United Nations-sponsored event commemorating the Nepalese Civil War, which the UN had helped resolve in 2006. Together with their performance, Midori, a UN Messenger of Peace, and her fellow musicians met survivors of the civil war, learning of that war and of the challenges its participants still face.

Following two performances with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and conductor Jonathan Nott in Geneva, Midori joined the orchestra and conductor for a tour of Spain with concerts in Madrid, Zaragoza, Barcelona, Tenerife and Las Palmas.

Victoria Hall, Geneva   ©Dougados Magali

Auditorio Nacional de Música, Madrid (credit: Rafa Martin)

       
Auditorio de Zaragoza (credit: Pilar Mairo)

In the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus in Las Palmas, the magical vista through the window behind the orchestra platform was the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

(credit: Raquel Berciano Cavero / Festival Internacional de Música Canarias)

“In the traditional interpretation of the concerto, the violin must be the almost martial conqueror. Nothing like that here. [In Midori’s interpretation] softness and limpidity shine through, without losing dizzying virtuosity. Her bow movements are akin to a calligraphy brush, always taking off from what the orchestra proposes. As in aikido, the virtuoso absorbs the power of her powerful partner, to reveal herself despite her slight stature. On stage, she is immense and moves like a rock star.” (Le Temps, Geneva)

Violinist Midori and pianist Mao Fujita performed in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan on November 13th and 14th to support the Noto Peninsula Earthquake Disaster Relief Project.

On January 1, 2024, the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa was struck by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake causing widespread devastation throughout the region. In memory of all those affected and those working tirelessly to support the relief efforts there, the performance series entitled “HOPE” was intended for people in the affected region to share a moment of healing through music.

The program included both solo and duo works by Beethoven, Mozart, Bach and Franck.

Midori’s performs violin concerti by Bartók and Prokofiev at the Aspen (Colorado) and Tanglewood (Massachusetts) festivals respectively and the Dvořák concerto at the Hollywood Bowl (Los Angeles).

At the Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland, her recital with pianist Özgür Aydin features works by Mozart, Fauré and Richard Strauss.