, who performs under the

mononym A mononym is a name composed of only one word. An individual who is known and addressed by a mononym is a mononymous person. A mononym may be the person's only name, given to them at birth. This was routine in most ancient societies, and remains ...

Midori, is a Japanese-born American violinist. She made her debut with the

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic is an American symphony orchestra based in New York City. Known officially as the ''Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc.'', and globally known as the ''New York Philharmonic Orchestra'' (NYPO) or the ''New Yo ...

at age 11 as a surprise guest soloist at the New Year's Eve Gala in 1982. In 1986 her performance at the

Tanglewood Music Festival The Tanglewood Music Festival is a music festival held every summer on the Tanglewood estate in Stockbridge and Lenox in the Berkshire Hills in western Massachusetts. The festival consists of a series of concerts, including symphonic music, c ...

with

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; born Louis Bernstein; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was th ...

conducting his own composition made the front-page headlines in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''. Midori became a celebrated

child prodigy A child prodigy is, technically, a child under the age of 10 who produces meaningful work in some domain at the level of an adult expert. The term is also applied more broadly to describe young people who are extraordinarily talented in some f ...

, and one of the world's preeminent violinists as an adult. Midori has been honored as an educator and for her

community engagement Community engagement is involvement and participation in an organization for the welfare of the community. Defining characteristics Volunteering, which involves giving personal time to projects in humanitarian NGOs or religious groups, are ...

endeavors. When she was 21, she established her foundation Midori and Friends to bring music education to young people in underserved communities in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and Japan, which has evolved into four distinct organizations with worldwide impact. In 2007, Midori was appointed as a UN Messenger of Peace. In 2018, she joined the violin faculty at the

Curtis Institute of Music The Curtis Institute of Music is a private conservatory in Philadelphia. It offers a performance diploma, a Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in opera, and a Professional Studies Certificate in opera. All students attend on a full scholarshi ...

. She is also on the faculty of the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

's Thornton School of Music serving as Distinguished Professor and Judge Widney Professor of Music. She was elected to the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...

in 2012.

Early life

Midori was born Midori Goto in

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

, Japan, on October 25, 1971. She dropped her father's surname from her

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

after her parents’ divorce in 1983, initially performing under the name Mi Dori, then deciding on the single word Midori. Her father was a successful engineer and her mother, Setsu Gotō, was a professional violinist. Setsu regularly took young Midori to her orchestra rehearsals where the toddler slept in the front row of the auditorium while her mother rehearsed. One day Setsu heard a two-year-old Midori humming a

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety of instruments and forms, including the or ...

concerto A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The ...

that had been rehearsed two days earlier. Subsequently, Midori often tried to touch her mother's violin, even climbing onto the bench of the family piano to try to reach the violin on top of the piano. On Midori's third birthday, Setsu gave her a 1/16 size violin and began giving her lessons.

Career

Midori gave her first public performance at the age of six, playing one of the 24 Caprices of Paganini in her native

. In 1982 she and her mother moved to New York City, where Midori started violin studies with

Dorothy DeLay Dorothy DeLay (March 31, 1917 – March 24, 2002) was an American violin teacher, instructor, primarily at the Juilliard School, Sarah Lawrence College, and the University of Cincinnati. Life Dorothy DeLay was born on March 31, 1917, in Medic ...

at Pre-College Division of Juilliard School and the

Aspen Music Festival and School The Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) is a European classical music, classical music festival held annually in Aspen, Colorado. It is noted both for its concert programming and the musical training it offers to mostly young-adult music stu ...

. As her audition piece, Midori performed Bach's thirteen-minute-long

Chaconne A chaconne ( , ; ; ; earlier English: chacony) is a type of musical composition often used as a vehicle for Variation (music), variation on a repeated short harmonic progression, often involving a fairly short repetitive bass-line (ground bass ...

, generally considered one of the most difficult solo violin pieces. In the same year, she made her concert debut with the

under

Zubin Mehta Zubin Mehta (born 29 April 1936) is an Indian conductor of Western classical music. He is music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) and conductor :wikt:emeritus, emeritus of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mehta's father ...

, a conductor with whom she would later record on the

Sony Classical Sony Classical is an American record label founded in 1924 as Columbia Masterworks Records, a subsidiary of Columbia Records. In 1980, the Columbia Masterworks label was renamed as CBS Masterworks Records. The CBS Records Group was acquired ...

label. In 1986 came her legendary performance of

's ''

Serenade In music, a serenade (; also sometimes called a serenata, from the Italian) is a musical composition or performance delivered in honour of someone or something. Serenades are typically calm, light pieces of music. The term comes from the Ital ...

'' at

Tanglewood Tanglewood is a music venue and Music festival, festival in the towns of Lenox, Massachusetts, Lenox and Stockbridge, Massachusetts, Stockbridge in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts. It has been the summer home of the Boston Symphony ...

, conducted by Bernstein. During the performance, she broke the E string on her violin, then again on the

concertmaster The concertmaster (from the German language, German ''Konzertmeister''), first chair (U.S.) or leader (UK) is the principal first violin player in an orchestra (clarinet or oboe in a concert band). After the Conducting, conductor, the concertma ...

Stradivarius A Stradivarius is one of the string instruments, such as violins, violas, cellos, and guitars, crafted by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari (Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), in Cremona, Italy, during the late 17th ...

after she borrowed it. She finished the performance with the associate concertmaster's Guadagnini and received a standing ovation. The next day's ''

'' front page carried the headline, "Girl, 14, Conquers Tanglewood with 3 Violins". When Midori was 15, she left Juilliard Pre-College in 1987 after four years and became a full-time professional violinist. In October 1989, she celebrated her 18th birthday with her

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

orchestral debut, playing Bartok's Violin Concerto No. 2. She made her Carnegie Hall recital debut in 1990 four days before her 19th birthday. Both performances were critically acclaimed. In 1990, she also graduated from the

Professional Children's School The Professional Children's School (PCS) is a not-for-profit, college-preparatory school geared toward working and aspiring child actors and dancers in grades four through twelve. The school was founded in New York City in 1914 to provide an ac ...

which she attended for academic subjects. In 1992, she formed Midori and Friends, a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

that aims to bring music education to children in New York City and in Japan after learning of severe cutbacks to music education in U.S. schools. Her organization Music Sharing began as the Tokyo branch-office of Midori and Friends and was certified as an independent organization in 2002. Music Sharing focuses on education about Western classical music and

traditional Japanese music Traditional Japanese music is the folk or traditional music of Japan. Japan's Ministry of Education classifies as a category separate from other traditional forms of music, such as (court music) or (Buddhist chanting), but most ethnomusic ...

for young people, including instrument instruction for the disabled. Its International Community Engagement Program is a training program for internationally chosen aspiring musicians that promotes cultural exchange and

. In 2000, Midori graduated ''

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...

'' from the Gallatin School at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

with a bachelor's degree in Psychology and

Gender Studies Gender studies is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to analysing gender identity and gendered representation. Gender studies originated in the field of women's studies, concerning women, feminism, gender, and politics. The field n ...

, completing the degree in five years while also continuing to perform in concerts. She later earned a master's degree in psychology from NYU in 2005. Her master's

thesis A thesis (: theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: D ...

was about pain research. In 2001, Midori had returned to the stage and took a teaching position at the

Manhattan School of Music The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music a ...

. In 2001, with the money Midori received from winning the Avery Fisher Prize, she established the Partners in Performance program focusing on classical music organizations in smaller communities. In 2004, Midori launched the Orchestra Residencies program in the U.S. for youth orchestras, which was expanded to include collaborations with orchestras outside the U.S. in 2010. In 2004, Midori was named a professor at University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music where she is holder of the

Jascha Heifetz Jascha Heifetz (; December 10, 1987) was a Russian-American violinist, widely regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time. Born in Vilnius, he was soon recognized as a child prodigy and was trained in the Russian classical violin styl ...

Chair A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. It may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vario ...

. She became a full-time resident of

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

in 2006 after a period of bicoastal commuting and was promoted to the chair of the Strings Department in 2007. In 2012 she was named distinguished professor at USC, elected to the

American Academy of Arts & Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other F ...

, and was awarded an

honorary doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...

in music by

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

. Midori was

Humanitas (from the Latin , "human") is a Latin noun meaning human nature, civilization, and kindness. It has uses in the Enlightenment, which are discussed below. Classical origins of term The Latin word corresponded to the Greek concepts of (loving ...

Visiting Professor in Classical Music and Music Education at

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

2013–2014. Midori joined the violin faculty of Philadelphia's Curtis Institute in the 2018–2019 academic year and remains on the

Thornton School of Music's violin faculty as a Judge Widney Professor of Music.

Accolades

In addition to being named Artist of the Year by the Japanese government (1988) and the recipient of the 25th Suntory Music Award (1993), Midori has won the Avery Fisher Prize (2001),

Musical America ''Musical America'' is the oldest American magazine on classical music, first appearing in 1898 in print and in 1999 online magazine, online, at musicalamerica.com. It is published by Performing Arts Resources, LLC, of East Windsor, New Jersey. ...

’s Instrumentalist of the Year award (2002), the Deutscher Schallplattenpreis (2002, 2003), the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...

Gold Medal in the Arts (2010), the Mellon Mentoring Award (2012). In 2007 Midori was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace. In 2012, she received the prestigious Crystal Award by the

World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental organization, international advocacy non-governmental organization and think tank, based in Cologny, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German ...

in Davos for "20-year devotion to community engagement work worldwide". In May 2021 she was an honoree of the 43rd

Kennedy Center Honors The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to Culture of the United States, American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in ...

. In May 2022, Midori was awarded the

John D. Rockefeller John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was one of the List of richest Americans in history, wealthiest Americans of all time and one of the richest people in modern hist ...

III Award by the Asian Cultural Council alongside artist Cai Guo-Qiang. The John D. Rockefeller 3rd Award is given to individuals from Asia or the U.S. who have made significant contributions to the international understanding, practice, or study of the visual or performing arts of Asia.

Personal life

In September 1994, Midori suddenly canceled her concerts and withdrew from public view. She was hospitalised and given an official diagnosis of

anorexia Anorexia nervosa (AN), often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by Calorie restriction, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. Individuals wit ...

for the first time. In her twenties, Midori struggled with anorexia and depression, resulting in a number of hospital stays. She later wrote about these personal difficulties in her 2004 memoir ''Einfach Midori'' (''Simply Midori''), which has been published in German but not English. (It was updated and reissued in German-speaking countries in 2012.) After recovering, she continued to perform and also studied psychology and gender studies at New York University. For a while, she considered psychology as an alternative career, with a focus on working with children. Midori's half-brother Ryu and her stepfather Makoto Kaneshiro (Ryu's father, a former violin assistant of

) are both violinists. Midori is a 2019 Honoree of the

Great Immigrants Award The Great Immigrants Award is an annual initiative by the Carnegie Corporation of New York to honor naturalized citizens of the United States who have made significant contributions to American society, democracy, and culture. Established in 200 ...

by the

Carnegie Corporation of New York The Carnegie Corporation of New York is a philanthropic fund established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to support education programs across the United States, and later the world. Since its founding, the Carnegie Corporation has endowed or othe ...

Instrument

Midori plays on the 1731

Guarneri The Guarneri (, , ), often referred to in the Latinized form Guarnerius, is the family name of a group of distinguished luthiers from Cremona in Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries, whose standing is considered comparable to those of the Amati ...

"ex-Huberman" violin. Her bows are made by Dominique Peccatte (two) and François Peccatte (one).

Discography

*''Bach/Vivaldi: Double Violin Concertos'' (

Philips Records Philips Records is a record label founded by Netherlands, Dutch electronics company Philips and in 1999 was absorbed into Netherlands, Dutch-United States, American music corporation Universal Music Group. It was founded as Philips Phonograph ...

, 1986) – with

Pinchas Zukerman Pinchas Zukerman (; born 16 July 1948) is an Israeli-American violinist, violist and conductor. Life and career Zukerman was born in Tel Aviv, to Jewish parents and Holocaust survivors Yehuda and Miriam Lieberman Zukerman. He began his musica ...

(violin, conductor), St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Bach's Concerto for Two Violins in D minor and Violin Concerto No. 2 in E major; Vivaldi's 12 Concertos, Op.3 – "L'estro armonico" / Concerto No. 8 In A Minor For 2 Violins *''Paganini: 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Op.1'' ( CBS Masterworks Records, 1989) *''Dvořák: Violin Concerto, Romance and Carnival Overture'' (

, 1989) – with

New York Philharmonic Orchestra The New York Philharmonic is an American symphony orchestra based in New York City. Known officially as the ''Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc.'', and globally known as the ''New York Philharmonic Orchestra'' (NYPO) or the ''New Yo ...

(conductor). Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A minor, Op. 53; Romance in F minor for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 11; and Carnival Overture, Op 92. *''Bartok – Violin Concertos No.1 & No.2'' (Sony Classical, 1991) – with

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra The Berlin Philharmonic () is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world. Throughout the 20th century, the orchestra was led by conductors Wilhelm Furtwängler (1922� ...

(conductor) *''Midori: Live At Carnegie Hall'' (Sony Classical, 1991) – with Robert McDonald (piano) *''Encore!'' (Sony Classical, 1992) – with Robert McDonald (piano) *''Sibelius: Violin Concerto / Bruch: Scottish Fantasy'' (Sony Classical, 1994) – with

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (abbreviation IPO; Hebrew: התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית, ''ha-Tizmoret ha-Filharmonit ha-Yisra'elit'') is a major Israeli symphony orchestra based in Tel Aviv. Its principal concert ...

(conductor). Sibelius's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D minor, Op. 47, and Bruch's Scottish Fantasy, Op. 46 *''Tchaikovsky & Shostakovich: Violin Concertos'' (Sony Classical, 1994) – with

Claudio Abbado Claudio Abbado (; 26 June 1933 – 20 January 2014) was an Italian conductor who was one of the leading conductors of his generation. He served as music director of the La Scala opera house in Milan, principal conductor of the Berlin Philharm ...

(conductor); Tchaikovsky's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major and Shostakovich's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No.1 in A minor *''Franck: Elgar: Violin Sonata in E minor, Op. 82, Violin Sonata in A Major'' (Sony Classical, 1997) – with Robert McDonald (piano) *''Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante in E-Flat Major & Concerto in D Major'' (Sony Classical, 2001) – with

Nobuko Imai is a renowned Japanese classical violist with an extensive career as soloist and chamber musician. Since 1988 she has played a 1690 Andrea Guarneri instrument. Biography Born in Tokyo, Imai began her musical training at the age of six. She b ...

(viola),

Christoph Eschenbach Christoph Eschenbach (; born 20 February 1940) is a German pianist and conductor. Early life Eschenbach was born on 20 February 1940 in Breslau, Germany (now Wrocław, Poland) as Christoph Ringmann. His parents were Margarethe (née Jaross), a ...

(conductor and piano), NDR Symphony Orchestra *''Debussy, Poulenc & Saint-Saëns: Violin Sonatas'' (Sony Classical, 2002) – with Robert McDonald (piano). Poulenc's Sonata for Violin and Piano,

Debussy Achille Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influe ...

's Sonata in G Minor for Violin and Piano, and Saint-Saëns's Sonata No.1 in D minor for Violin and Piano, Op. 75 *''Midori – 20th Anniversary Album'' (Sony Classical, 2002) – with

Leonard Slatkin Leonard Edward Slatkin (born September 1, 1944) is an American conductor, author and composer. Early life and education Slatkin was born in Los Angeles to a Jewish musical family that came from areas of the Russian Empire now in Ukraine. His fat ...

(conductor),

Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1880 by Joseph Otten as the St. Louis Choral Society, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest professional symphony o ...

, Robert McDonald (piano) *''Mendelssohn & Bruch Violin Concertos'' (Sony Classical, 2002) – with

Mariss Jansons Mariss Ivars Georgs Jansons (14 January 1943 – 1 December 2019) was a Latvian Conducting, conductor, best known for his interpretations of Gustav Mahler, Mahler, Richard Strauss, Strauss, and Russian composers such as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, ...

(conductor). Mendelssohn's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E minor, Op. 64 and Bruch's Concerto No.1 for Violin and Orchestra in G Minor, Op. 26 *''Bach Sonata No. 2 in A minor, Bartók: Sonata No. 1'' (Sony Classical, 2008) – with Robert McDonald (piano) *''The Essential Midori'' (Sony Classical, 2008) *''Violin Sonatas of Bloch, Janáček and Shostakovich'' (Sony Classical, 2013) – with Ozgür Aydin (piano) *''Hindemith: Violin Concerto; Symphonic Metamorphosis; Konzertmusik'' ( Ondine, 2013) – with NDR Symphony Orchestra,

(conductor) *''Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin'' (Onyx Classics, 2015) *''Beethoven: Violin Concerto & Romances Nos. 1 & 2'' (Warner Classics, 2020) – with Daniel Dodds (violin), Festival Strings Lucerne

Films

*2003: ''... and on and on! The violinist Midori'' (Director: Holger Preuße, ZDF/ARTE) *2017: ''Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001-1006 (Midori Plays Bach)'' (Production: Accentus Music, Co-Production: NHK, In cooperation with: MDR/Arte, Bachfesttage Köthen, Director: Andreas Morell)https://www.naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=ACC-10403

References

External links

*
Midori and Friends
December 6, 1991 (Very early in her career) {{DEFAULTSORT:Midori (violinist) 1971 births Living people Japanese classical violinists Aspen Music Festival and School alumni Child classical musicians American classical musicians of Japanese descent Manhattan School of Music faculty Juilliard School Pre-College Division alumni New York University Gallatin School of Individualized Study alumni United Nations Messengers of Peace Japanese emigrants to the United States USC Thornton School of Music faculty People from Hirakata Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Japanese women musicians American women musicians of Japanese descent 21st-century American women musicians American women classical violinists Japanese women classical violinists American women music educators 20th-century American women musicians American women academics 20th-century American classical violinists 21st-century American classical violinists Kennedy Center honorees