Midori (violinist) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Midori
Midori at the White House in 2021
Background information
Birth name	Midori Goto
Also known as	Midori (formerly styled as Mi Dori)
Born	(1971-10-25) October 25, 1971 (age 53) Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
Genres	Classical
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Violin
Years active	1982–present

Midori Goto (五嶋 みどり, Gotō Midori, born October 25, 1971), known simply as Midori, is a famous Japanese-American violinist. She first performed with the New York Philharmonic orchestra when she was just 11 years old in 1982. A few years later, in 1986, she made headlines for an amazing performance at the Tanglewood Music Festival with conductor Leonard Bernstein. Midori became known as a talented child prodigy and grew up to be one of the world's top violinists.

Midori is also recognized for her work in education and helping communities. When she was 21, she started her foundation, Midori and Friends. This group helps bring music education to young people in places like New York City and Japan where it might be harder to get. Her work has grown into four different organizations that help people all over the world. In 2007, Midori was chosen as a United Nations Messenger of Peace. She also teaches violin at important music schools like the Curtis Institute of Music and the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music.

Early Life and First Violin

Midori Goto was born in Osaka, Japan, on October 25, 1971. After her parents divorced in 1983, she decided to use only her first name, Midori, as her stage name. Her mother, Setsu Gotō, was a professional violinist. Young Midori often went with her mother to orchestra rehearsals.

One day, when Midori was only two years old, her mother heard her humming a Bach concerto that the orchestra had practiced two days before. Midori often tried to touch her mother's violin. For her third birthday, her mother gave her a tiny 1/16 size violin and started teaching her lessons.

A Star is Born

Midori gave her first public performance at age six in Osaka. She played a very difficult piece by Paganini. In 1982, she and her mother moved to New York City. There, Midori began studying violin at the Pre-College Division of Juilliard School. For her audition, she played Bach's long and challenging "Chaconne."

That same year, she played her first big concert with the New York Philharmonic orchestra, led by conductor Zubin Mehta. In 1986, when she was 14, she had a legendary performance at Tanglewood. During the concert, she broke a string on her own violin. Then, she broke a string on the concertmaster's special Stradivarius violin after borrowing it! She finished the performance using another violin and received a huge standing ovation. The next day, The New York Times newspaper had a headline that said, "Girl, 14, Conquers Tanglewood with 3 Violins."

Becoming a Professional Musician

When Midori was 15, she left Juilliard Pre-College in 1987 to become a full-time professional violinist. In 1989, she celebrated her 18th birthday by playing with an orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York City. She also gave her first solo recital at Carnegie Hall in 1990. Both performances were highly praised.

In 1992, Midori started Midori and Friends. This non-profit group helps bring music education to children in New York City and Japan. She learned that music programs were being cut in schools, and she wanted to help. Her organization, Music Sharing, started as a part of Midori and Friends in Tokyo. It teaches young people about Western classical music and traditional Japanese music. It even helps disabled students learn instruments.

Midori also went to college! In 2000, she graduated from New York University with a degree in Psychology and Gender Studies. She earned this degree while still performing concerts around the world. She later earned a master's degree in psychology in 2005. In 2001, Midori started teaching at the Manhattan School of Music. She also used money from an award to create the Partners in Performance program, which helps classical music groups in smaller communities.

In 2004, Midori became a professor at the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music. She moved to Los Angeles in 2006 and became the head of the Strings Department in 2007. In 2018, she also joined the violin faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

Awards and Honors

Midori has received many important awards for her musical talent and her community work. Some of these include:

• Artist of the Year by the Japanese government (1988)
• The Avery Fisher Prize (2001)
• Musical America’s Instrumentalist of the Year award (2002)
• The Kennedy Center Gold Medal in the Arts (2010)
• The prestigious Crystal Award by the World Economic Forum (2012) for her "20-year devotion to community engagement work worldwide."

In 2007, Midori was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace. This means she helps the UN spread messages about important global issues. In May 2021, she was honored at the 43rd Kennedy Center Honors. In May 2022, she received the John D. Rockefeller III Award for her contributions to understanding Asian arts.

Personal Life

Midori has shared that she faced some health challenges in her twenties. She later wrote about these experiences in her 2004 memoir, Einfach Midori (Simply Midori), which was published in German. After getting better, she continued her music career and also studied psychology.

Midori's half-brother, Ryu, is also a violinist. Her stepfather, Makoto Kaneshiro, is also a violinist.

In 2019, Midori was honored with the Great Immigrants Award by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Her Violin

Midori plays on a very special violin made in 1731 by Giuseppe Guarneri. It is known as the "ex-Huberman" violin. She also uses bows made by famous bow makers Dominique Peccatte and François Peccatte.

Discography

Midori has recorded many albums. Here are some of them:

• Bach/Vivaldi: Double Violin Concertos (Philips Records, 1986)
• Paganini: 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Op.1 (CBS Masterworks Records, 1989)
• Dvořák: Violin Concerto, Romance and Carnival Overture (Sony Classical, 1989)
• Bartok – Violin Concertos No.1 & No.2 (Sony Classical, 1991)
• Midori: Live At Carnegie Hall (Sony Classical, 1991)
• Encore! (Sony Classical, 1992)
• Sibelius: Violin Concerto / Bruch: Scottish Fantasy (Sony Classical, 1994)
• Tchaikovsky & Shostakovich: Violin Concertos (Sony Classical, 1994)
• Franck: Elgar: Violin Sonata in E minor, Op. 82, Violin Sonata in A Major (Sony Classical, 1997)
• Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante in E-Flat Major & Concerto in D Major (Sony Classical, 2001)
• Debussy, Poulenc & Saint-Saëns: Violin Sonatas (Sony Classical, 2002)
• Midori – 20th Anniversary Album (Sony Classical, 2002)
• Mendelssohn & Bruch Violin Concertos (Sony Classical, 2002)
• Bach Sonata No. 2 in A minor, Bartók: Sonata No. 1 (Sony Classical, 2008)
• The Essential Midori (Sony Classical, 2008)
• Violin Sonatas of Bloch, Janáček and Shostakovich (Sony Classical, 2013)
• Hindemith: Violin Concerto; Symphonic Metamorphosis; Konzertmusik (Ondine, 2013)
• Bach: Sonatas & Partitas for Solo Violin (Onyx Classics, 2015)
• Beethoven: Violin Concerto & Romances Nos. 1 & 2 (Warner Classics, 2020)

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)

See also

In Spanish: Midori Gotō para niños