Mesmerized by a master

A young local violinist recounts her impressions of listening to Midori

SHANDELEE, NY — As we drove away from the idyllic Shandelee Music Festival site on July 17, I considered myself one of the most fortunate teenagers in the music world. A few minutes ago I had sat spellbound gazing up at Midori, world-renowned violinist, whose incredible gifts had just been bestowed upon me. I could not possibly capture the magic of my experience in words, but I will try.

At three o’clock on Sunday afternoon, in this fairytale setting, she began with the Sonata in B-Flat Major KV 454 by Mozart. She played each movement with such feeling, it was as if she was part of the music from the minute she placed her bow onto the string. Her second piece was the Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Major by Ravel. Each movement was fiery and electrifying, having a jazzy edge to it. She wowed the audience at the end of the third movement, the “Perpetuum mobile: allegro,” with her swift-moving fingers and bow. After intermission she began with the Sonata No. 6 in A major, Op. 30 No. 1 by Beethoven. Her piano accompanist, Charles Abramovic, was highlighted, while Midori complimented with exciting dynamics. Just when I thought I had seen it all, Midori played Dithyrambos, Op. 55 by Rautavaara. Thrilling the audience, Midori shifted through positions with incredible speed, never compromising accuracy or tone. She ran her fingers up and down the fingerboard and dug her bow into the exhilarating chords. Her last two pieces, Melodie in E-Flat Major, Op. 42, No. 3 and Waltz-Scherzo, Op. 34 by Tchaikovsky continued to mesmerize and excite. Once she had finished, she received a standing ovation which was well deserved.

As I watched Midori on stage, I was awestruck. Aside from her perfect technique, each piece she played came from her heart. Every note was expressed and carried magically from her Guarnerius violin. I could only imagine what it must have been like to hear her virtuoso playing when she was 11 years of age. At that time she debuted in 1982 with the New York Philharmonic (under the conductor Zubin Mehta), playing the Paganini Concertos. She studied under Dorothy DeLay at the Julliard pre-college division. Her career blossomed as she debuted with many other orchestras and became a world-renowned violinist.

Complimenting Midori’s talent is her personality. After the concert, being a violin student myself, I was invited along with Mrs. Lubin, my strings teacher at Liberty High School, to meet her at a reception for young students and teachers. Her grace and warmth touched each one of us, and you couldn’t help but notice her humility and kindness. She spends much of her time working with children, and teaches in both University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music. She founded Midori and Friends, a non-profit organization in New York, that provides music education to underprivileged children, and also formed two other similar groups, Music Sharing and Partners in Performance. When I got the chance to talk to her, she was extremely kind and shared valuable advice. I told her I’d be graduating high school next year and we talked about college. She offered her opinion on different schools and really helped me to make a decision. Midori is not only an incredible player but also a beautiful person and an inspiration to everyone. She gives hope to aspiring violinists everywhere, including this one. I could never thank her enough.