Kennedy Center Honoree Midori is deeply committed to furthering humanitarian and educational goals, and she has founded several non-profit organizations; throughout the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, she continued to create virtual programming for these organizations, which serve many different communities. Midori & Friends provides music programs for New York City youth and communities, MUSIC SHARING, a Japan-based foundation, brings both western classical and Japanese music traditions into young lives in Japan and throughout Asia. She commissioned composer Derek Bermel to write a new piece, “Spring Cadenzas,” which was premiered (mostly virtually) by student orchestras in 2021 through Midori’s Orchestra Residencies Program (ORP) and will continue to be performed by ORP participants in future seasons; Midori also performed the piece this summer (2021) with the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, CO. Through Partners in Performance (PiP), Midori co-presents chamber music concerts to smaller communities outside the radius and without the financial resources of major urban centers; during the pandemic, she recorded recitals that were shared with PiP audiences, and provided a series of live, virtual workshops to accompany the recorded performances.  

2021-22 Highlights

October 21, 23, 24, 2021 / Atlanta, GA / Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Juanjo Mena, Conductor / Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto

Nov 9-10, 2021 / Edinburgh, Scotland / Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Thomas Søndergård, Conductor / World Premiere, Glanert Violin Concerto No. 2 

Dec 10, 2021 / Hamburg, Germany / NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, Brad Lubman, Conductor / Glanert Violin Concerto No. 2 

March 16, 2022 / Los Angeles / Walt Disney Concert Hall / Recital with Ozgur Aydin, Piano / Mozart Sonata No. 21; Schumann Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2; J.S. Bach Violin Sonata in E minor; Skalkottas Little Suite 2; Brahms Violin Sonata No. 3

March 19-21, 2022 / Chamber Music San Francisco Recital Tour with Ozgur Aydin, Piano / Mozart Sonata No. 21; Schumann Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2; J.S. Bach Violin Sonata in E minor; Skalkottas Little Suite 2; Brahms Violin Sonata No. 3
March 19 / San Francisco / / Herbst Theater
March 20 / Walnut Creek/ Chamber Music San Francisco / Margaret Lesher Theatre
March 21 / Palo Alto / Oshman JCC Shultz Cultural Arts Hall

March 25, 26, 27, 2022 / Kansas City, MO / Kansas City Symphony, Michael Stern, Conductor / Brahms Violin Concerto 

May 14, 2022 / Chamber Music Detroit / Recital with Ieva Jokubaviciute / Dvořák: Sonatina for Violin and Piano; Ravel: Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2; Beethoven: Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 9, “Kreutzer”