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.
Violinist Midori oversaw from June 22 to July 25 the Ravinia Steans Music Institute’s Program for Piano & Strings in her first season as artistic director. Midori oversaw the distinguished program for piano and string players 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 renowned artists and pedagogues.
On July 6, Midori and other artists of the program joined in a concert combining Beethoven’s String Trio No 4 and Schumann’s Piano Quintet 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.
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.
Midori performs on May 24 and 25 at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and in Antwerp with Dvorak’s Violin Concerto conducted by Elim Chan. The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra will be playing. At the beginning of May she was in the USA as part of her Orchestra Residencies Program and in June she will be touring in Japan with her foundation ICEP (International Community Engagement Program).
May 24 Amsterdam, Concertgebouw
Antwerp Symphony Orchestra
Dvořák: Violin Concerto in A minor op. 53
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in c minor, op. 68
May 25 Antwerp, Queen Elisabeth Hall
Antwerp Symphony Orchestra
Dvořák: Violin Concerto in A minor op. 53
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in c minor, op. 68
Midori begins the new year with two performances of Detlef Glanert’s Violin Concerto No. 2 An die Unsterbliche Geliebte: in January with the NDR Radiophilharmonie and Andrew Manze and in February with the Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra, which co-commissioned the work. You can listen to the concert with the NDR Radiophilharmonie here for a year.
Other highlights in spring 2024 include concerts with the KBS Symphony in Seoul, with the Solistes Européens Luxembourg at the Luxembourg Philharmonie, a Schumann Violin Concerto recording at the KKL with the Festival Strings Lucerne, duo recitals in the USA and South America and guest appearances in Amsterdam, Prague, Wiesbaden and Dresden.
Midori’s recording of Leonard Bernstein’s Serenade for violin, strings, harp and percussion with the WDR Symphony Orchestra conducted by Constantinos Carydis is still available to listen to and watch on YouTube:
Here you can watch Midori’s recent concert in Germany: Bernstein’s Serenade for violin, strings, harp and percussion with the WDR Symphony Orchestra and Constantinos Carydis recorded on September 22 at Cologne Philharmonie is now available on YouTube and on the WDR Symphony Orchestra’s website.
Midori just finished her US tour with the Festival Strings Lucerne having played in Atlanta, Iowa City, San Francisco and Santa Barbara, among others. Her next stop is Korea: she will perform Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in Seoul on November 25 .
On October 25, Midori will perform Schumann’s Violin Concerto in D minor and Dvořák’s Romance for Violin and Orchestra with the Festival Strings Lucerne under Daniel Dodds at the KKL Luzern. The violinist shares an intense partnership with the Festival Strings Lucerne musicians, and prior to the concert in Lucerne will accompany them to two concerts on October 22 and 23 in Bologna and Rimini, as well as on a nine-concert U.S. tour.
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The mission of the podcast Speaking Soundly is to offer a window into the soul of today’s premier professional performing artists, to show the process and personal journey of great artists seeking connection, beauty, and spirituality through music.
Speaking Soundly is hosted by Principal Trumpet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra David Krauss.
Midori is this week’s guest on Speaking Soundly.
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Violinist Midori will perform Bernstein’s Serenade for violin, strings, harp and percussion in Cologne – the concert on Friday, 22 September together with the WDR Sinfonieorchester conducted by Constantinos Carydis will be broadcast live on YouTube as well as on the website of the WDR Sinfonieorchester and on the radio on WDR 3 and will also be available afterwards to listen to and watch. The work by the U.S. composer has been with Midori for what feels like her entire life; with 14, she played it under the composer’s baton in her debut performance at Tanglewood. During the performance, her string broke twice and Midori quickly exchanged her ¾-instrument for the concert master’s violin and then for another one. The special moment is also available on YouTube, but unfortunately in poor quality, nevertheless you get an impression: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rkp8YSuePPM
Information about the concert can be found here. The concert program includes:
Gustav Mahler: Blumine, Symphonic Movement
Leonard Bernstein: Serenade for violin, strings, harp and percussion
Dimitri Mitropoulos: Burial
Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 9 in E-flat major op. 70
Another concert will take place on Saturday, 23 September in Duisburg.
Premieres, new productions, awards and special concert programs – below you will find an overview of what our artists will be featuring on international concert stages in the coming months.