Midori celebrates Beethoven in Luzern (February 2020)

On Sunday, 1 May 2020, Midori will play a violin concerto and two romances by Beethoven and will thus be the focus of this concert under the baton of Daniel Dodds of the Lucerne Concert Series of the Festival Strings Lucerne titled “Beethoven zelebriert”. This programme, orchestra and conductor, repeat itself at Saffron Hall in Saffron Walden. The concert in England will take place on 6 March.READ MORE

Midori congratulates Christoph Eschenbach with Mozart (February 2020)

In honour of the 80th birthday of Christoph Eschenbach’s, Music Director of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, a grand celebration takes place. On February 25 at the Konzerthaus Berlin many renowned artists congratulate the conductor by presenting outstanding works. One of the congratulators is Midori, she will play a Mozart Duo together with Nils MönkemeyerREAD MORE

Midori with ICEP in Cambodia (December 2019)

For 15 years now – one could almost call it a tradition –, Midori ends her year with MUSIC SHARING’s International Community Engagement Program (ICEP). During Christmas celebrations at the end of December, the violinist and UN messenger of peace forms and joins a string quartet together with this year’s three young musicians Elina Buksha (violin), Erika Gray (viola) and Noémie Raymond-Friset (cello) to present music to, above all, children and youth in rural and otherwise underserved areas in Cambodia, while encouraging audiences and musicians to connect with each other through the arts.

Since 2016, Midori and those young musicians travelling with her, share their impressions in a diary on the MUSIC SHARING ICEP Blog. The biographies of the various teams throughout the years can still be found there too as well as general information on the program and organization. On MUSIC SHARING‘s YouTube channel you can also find videos of the previous visits to India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanman, amongst others.

Midori receives Brahms Prize 2020 (November 2019)

The Brahms Society Schleswig-Holstein announced on Thursday, November 21, 2019 in Heide, that it will award Midori the Brahms Prize 2020. The award ceremony will take place on 3 May 2020 in St. Bartholomew’s Church in Wesselburen.

Excerpt from Brahms Society’s statement:
The Brahms Society honors an outstanding violinist and proven Brahms interpreter, one of the most impressive personalities in the music world. The famous artist is honored for her worldwide acclaimed interpretations of the works of Johannes Brahms as well as for her great support of the next generation of artists and the special commitment in the spirit of humanity for cultural projects.

Here you can find the complete Brahms Society’s statement (in German).

New chair for Midori (October 2019)

Violinist and UN messenger of peace Midori has been appointed to the Dorothy Richard Starling Chair in Violin Studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

“We are pleased to recognize this outstanding artist and dedicated teacher in this way,” said Curtis president and CEO Roberto Díaz. “The prestigious named chairs at Curtis honor the school’s significant legacy while demonstrating our continued commitment as leaders and innovators in training excellence in violin studies.”

The Dorothy Richard Starling Chair in Violin Studies was previously held by Aaron Rosand until his retirement in May 2019. Midori joined the faculty in 2018. In the 2019–20 school year, the Curtis Institute of Music celebrates its 95 years of existence.

You can read the official announcement here.

Midori presenting works of living female composers (October 2019)

From 2 to 8 November, Midori will present a program consisting only of works by living female composers. Together with pianist Ieva Jokubaviciute she will perform at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., in Le Poisson Rouge in New York and in London’s Kings Place. The program includes works by Olga Neuwirth, Franghiz Ali-Zadeh, Vivian Fung, Sofia Gubaidulina and a world premier by Tamar Diesendruck.READ MORE

Midori and Jean-Yves Thibaudet for Duo Concerts in Europe (September 2019)

On 13 September 2019, violinist Midori and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet perform their first duo recital in Europe – at the Stadthalle Germering, near Munich. The program draws on the music of Schumann, Fauré, Debussy and Enescu. The concert in Germering will be followed by a recital at the Enescu Festival in Bucharest. In November, two recitals in France and the Netherlands will follow.

In April of this year, Midori and Jean-Yves Thibaudet embarked on their first duo tour through the US, with stops in Scottsdale, San Francisco, La Jolla, Chicago and Princeton.

Overview on Midori and Jean-Yves Thibaudet’s concerts in Europe:

13 September – Germering, Stadthalle
Schumann: Violin Sonata No. 1
Fauré: Violin Sonata No. 1
Debussy: Violin Sonata L. 140
Enescu: Violin Sonata No. 3
Jean-Yves Thibaudet – Piano

16 September – Bucharest, Romanian Athenaeum – Enescu Festival
cf. 13 September

17 November – Lyon, Auditorium
cf. 13 September

20 November – Utrecht, TivoliVredenburg
cf. 13 September

Midori – Begin of the New Academic Year 2019-20 at the Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia (September 2019)

After a summer with master classes and performances at festivals and summer schools at Interlochen Center for the Arts (Michigan, USA), Domaine Forget International Festival (Québec, Canada), Ravinia’s Summer Conservatory at Ravinia Steans Music Institute (Illinois, USA), Krzyżowa Music, Aspen Music Festival (Colorado, USA) and at the Weimar Master Classes in Germany, Midori’s new academic year 2019-20 in Philadelphia is about to start. It is her second academic year at the city’s Curtis Institute of Music where she joined the Violin Faculty last year, entering a storied violin lineage and robust community engagement program.