ON THIS DAY | Today is Violinist Midori’s Birthday!

A visionary artist, activist, and educator, Midori stands as one of the most outstanding violinists of our time

 

Born in Osaka in 1971, Midori began her violin studies with her mother, Setsu Goto. A recognized child prodigy, at the age of 11, she was invited to perform with the New York Philharmonic by conductor Zubin Mehta.

She has collaborated with other renowned musicians such as Emanuel Ax, Leonard Bernstein, Christoph Eschenbach, Yo-Yo Ma — and performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras.

Deeply committed to furthering humanitarian and educational goals, she has founded several non-profit organizations, including Midori & Friends and MUSIC SHARING. She serves as a United Nations Messenger of Peace.

Midori was the recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors and was celebrated during the May 2021 Honors ceremonies in Washington D.C. by Yo-Yo Ma, Bette Midler, and John Lithgow, among others.

Midori plays the 1734 Guarnerius del Gesù ‘ex-Huberman’. She uses four bows: two by Dominique Peccatte, one by François Peccatte, and one by Paul Siefried.

In addition to performing and recording regularly, she serves a teaching position on faculty as the Dorothy Richard Starling Chair in Violin Studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and as Distinguished Visiting Artist at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University.

 

MIDORI & ROBERT MCDONALD | SARASATE | ZAPATEADO | CARNEGIE HALL DEBUT | 1990