Midori

Midori will perform Shostakovich's Violin Concerto on August 15.

After more than 20 years on stage, Midori continues to make great strides in classical music. Critics call her performances "consistently great" and she is acclaimed for breathing new life into traditional works, and championing the work of modern composers. The Chicago Sun-Times said, "she is doing exactly what great artists are born to do, marshaling her formidable gifts and daring to push herself further and further into the deepest heart of the music at hand."

In addition to her ambitious performing schedule, the focus of Midori's energies is increasingly drawn to the community engagement organizations she has founded in the U.S. and Japan. Her organizations all address one central issue: access to music for all people, regardless of their age, social class, geographic location or financial means. "Midori & Friends" provides comprehensive music education to children in New York City. "Music Sharing" has similar goals in Japan, with a special focus on both Western classical music and traditional Japanese music.

Midori's says, "my wish is to continue to search for ways to communicate the depths and meaning that I experience in my life with music as a medium." To learn more about her projects, visit www.gotomidori.com

Midori will perform Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Britt Orchestra on Friday, August 15.