Midori has been one of the world’s preeminent concert violinists for over 30 years. She is also an activist and educator, committed to building connections between music and the human experience. A UN Messenger of Peace since 2007, she currently serves as one of 13 including Malala Yousafzai, Jane Goodall, Paulo Coelho, Leonardo DiCaprio and Yo-Yo Ma. Her dedication to community engagement earned her the Crystal Award at the 2012 World Economic Forum in Davos.
We are thrilled to have Midori returning to our stage as part of our fall concert season on November 6, performing sonatas by Mozart, Grieg and Franck with pianist Ieva Jokubaviciute. And we are warmed to welcome back an artist so dedicated to supporting community, education, and the transformative power of the arts.
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You’re one of the world’s most in-demand violinists – both as a performer and as an educator. You’re also a prominent activist. What drives the choices you make for your musical schedule, and do you see your priorities shifting in a post-pandemic world?
I have always appreciated the power of music to bring people together. My musical activities are all driven by this idea, whether I am teaching, performing or engaging with the community. These three pillars of my professional life fit very naturally together and there is actually no border. In fact, they each influence and inspire each other, and I feel very fortunate to have a balance of all these elements.
Right now, I am focusing my energies as much as I can on supporting my existing organizations and projects as we maneuver through unprecedented and very challenging times. As we try to adjust to new modalities, we have been working together to adapt, create new programs, implement new ideas and figure out the best ways to utilize the available technology. In the post-pandemic world I hope will soon be upon us, I look forward to seeing the best practices from what we have now learned co-exist, and to integrate them with what will by then be called “traditional” methods.
As a UN Messenger of Peace, your work helps raise awareness of efforts to improve the lives of people across the globe. How do you use music to help make the world a better place?
Many people still experience a marginalized existence, for reasons ranging from social, economic and political to spiritual. By playing music and engaging others, and bringing awareness to issues, situations and circumstances that halt and hinder progress, I take opportunities to communicate and share with diverse communities—at home and in other parts of the world.
What do you see as most urgent in arts education right now?
I would love to see all forces join to support each other and to maintain, enhance and create opportunities to be touched by the arts. This should not be limited to those who are school-aged. The arts can inspire and console people, and our innate desire to express should be given a creative outlet and should be encouraged as a way we can empathize with each other.