Midori and Mao Fujita perform a concert for the victims of the Noto Peninsula earthquake in Japan

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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 2024/2025 Season

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Following a busy August of concerto and recital appearances at the Tanglewood, Aspen and Edinburgh festivals and the Hollywood Bowl, Midori embarked on her 2024/2025 season, highlights of which include:

• A week at the Krzyzowa Chamber Music Festival in Poland, helping to celebrate its 10th anniversary;

• Recording Spring Cadenzas, a work composed by Derek Bermel for her Orchestra Residencies Program, with the Boston-based ensemble A Far Cry and its Project STEP students;

• Recital tours to Turkey, India and Sri Lanka, among others;

• Concerto appearances with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Andris Nelsons in Vienna and on tour to Korea and Japan and with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and Jonathan Nott on tour in Spain;

• “Hope Concerts” in Ishikawa, Japan, to support victims of the January 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake with pianist Mao Fujita;

• International Community Engagement Project (ICEP) in Nepal with three young string players;

• Recitals in the U.S. with pianist Özgür Aydin in Boston, New York San Francisco and Los Angeles, among others in the spring of 2025. The recital program is a musical reflection on suffering and loss inspired by Federico García Lorca’s poem Casida of the Lament represented in works by Poulenc, Brahms and Ravel and the premiere of Spirituals by Che Buford;

• Recording works by Robert Schumann

Midori’s Festival Appearances – August 2024

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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.

Midori’s first season as Artistic Director of the Ravinia Steans Music Institute’s Program for Piano & Strings

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In her first season as Artistic Director of the Ravinia Steans Music Institute‘s Program for Piano & Strings, Midori oversaw the distinguished program that focuses on interpretation and small group collaboration through practice and performance of classical sonata and chamber repertoire. The Steans Music Institute is located in Highland Park, Illinois.

Over two dozen violinists, violists, cellists and pianists gathered for five weeks of intensive rehearsals and coaching under the guidance of Midori and a rotating roster of some of the world’s finest artists and pedagogues.

On July 6, Midori joined violinist Mihaela Martin, violist Kim Kashkashian, cellists Frans Helmerson and Clive Greensmith and pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin in a program combining Beethoven’s String Trio No 4 in D Major and Schumann’s Piano Quintet in E-flat Major with Timo Andres’s Piano Trio (commissioned by the Ravinia Steans Music Institute in 2018) and Carlos Simon’s where two or three are gathered.

2024 Orchestra Residencies Programs inspire hundreds of young musicians

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Midori’s most recent Orchestra Residencies Programs took place in Amarillo, Texas in March and in Toledo Ohio in May of this year.

In Amarillo, Midori and her ORP assistant, Clara Kim, worked with members of four orchestras at different levels of age and experience. They gave workshops including advising students on how to practice, to prepare for auditions and to approach college applications. They gave masterclasses, took part in orchestra rehearsals, visited local schools and spoke with educators.

     

     

In Toledo, which had three levels of ensembles, Midori gave Arts Advocacy lectures at a number of local schools and led discussions with students and parents. She also led a seminar for music teachers and arts supporters. There were masterclasses and workshops that included coaching of chamber ensembles. A seminar with area educators and arts supporters examined how best to encourage and inspire youth.

 

     

Both ORPs culminated in concerts in which, among other works, Midori performed Derek Bermel’s Spring Cadenzas, a newly commissioned piece for ORP. Prior to the residencies, the participating students had been able to meet online with Mr Bermel to hear more about him and his compositional process and to share any music that they may have composed themselves.

ICEP Activities and Public Concerts in Japan

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In December 2023, Midori was joined by violinist Ellinor D’Melon, violist Hiroki Kasai and cellist Alejandro Gomez-Pareja for a week of activities at schools, hospitals, vocational centers and cultural centers in Laos through her International Community Engagement Program (ICEP).

In a follow-up to the Laos ICEP, the four musicians met up again in Japan in June 2024 for two weeks filled with visits to schools, hospitals and other institutions in Osaka, Wakayama, Aomori and Gunma, among other places – and for public concerts in Tokyo and Osaka.

     

 

Gala Concert and Dinner to benefit ICEP

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A gala concert and dinner will be held on June 14th in Tokyo’s Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa to benefit Midori’s International Community Engagement Program (ICEP).

For more information, to contribute and to purchase tickets

 

Midori & Friends launches podcast

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Midori & Friends has launched a new podcast interview series, entitled Changing the Tempo.

The inaugural episode, Spirit of Service with Midori, features Board member Ron Claiborne in conversation with Midori about her introduction to music, her dedication to mastering the violin and her journey to becoming a globally recognized artist. It highlights her musical achievements, the impact of her philanthropic work in music education and her perspective on the transformative power of music.

Listen to Spirit of Service with Midori

 

Midori receives 2023 Brandeis Creative Arts Award

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On January 18, 2024, Midori received the Brandeis Creative Arts Award at the Slosberg Music Center of Brandeis University from President Ron Liebowitz. The award ceremony was followed by a recital with pianist Ieva Jokubaviciute.

The Brandeis Creative Arts Award recognizes excellence in the arts and the lives and works of distinguished, active American artists. It was established in 1956, eight years after the University’s founding, at a time when there was no comparable award in higher education.

Neal Hampton, director of the Brandeis-Wellesley Orchestra and chair of the award’s planning committee said, “Midori was selected because of her visionary artistry exhibited over decades of performances in the world’s great concert halls and cultural centers. … Equally important is her impressive work through her non-profit organizations, including Midori and Friends, dedicated to enriching the lives of children by providing tuition-free music education programs in NYC, and Partner in Performance, which brings chamber music to small communities throughout the country. A United Nations Messenger of Peace, and a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2021, Midori’s dedication to building connections between music and the human experience makes her one of the most vital artists of our time.”


Photo credit: Dan Holmes
Midori in recital with Ieva Jakobaviciute following the award ceremony


Midori gave a master class at Brandeis University’s Rapaporte Treasure Hall in early December 2023

International Community Engagement Program 2023 – Laos

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After a hiatus during the Covid pandemic, Midori’s International Community Engagement Program activities outside of Japan resumed in December 2023 with presentations and performances in Laos.

Midori was joined by violinist Ellinor D’Melon, violist Hiroki Kasai and cellist Alejandro Gomez-Pareja for a week of activities at schools, vocational centers, hospitals and cultural centers in Vientiane, Muang Xay and Luang Prabang.

The cultural exchange also saw members of the ICEP quartet engage in traditional dyeing and paper making, interviews with students, observance of an alms giving ceremony and a storytelling session.

       

A follow-up will take place in June 2024, when the quartet will reunite for performances and presentations at schools, hospitals and other facilities for a diverse population in Japan as well as public performances in which they will report on their community engagement activities in Laos.