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.

Midori at the 60th Weimar Master Classes (July 2019)

Also in this year, Midori will be back at the Hochschule für Musik FRANZ LISZT Weimar to teach at the Weimar Master Classes. From Saturday, 20 July on, international students will have the opportunity to receive lessons from Midori. In addition to individual and group lessons, the orchestra studio with the Jenaer Philharmonie as well as a participant concert at the end of the course, Midori will bring music together with her students to a social institution in the city.

Further master classes will follow in August in Domaine Forget (Canada) and Krzyzowa (Poland).

Midori receives Great Immigrant honour from the Carnegie Corporation of New York (July 2019)