Violinist Midori made her professional debut with the New York Philharmonic in 1982. / Korea Times file

By Do Je-hae

Few would contest that violinist Midori is one of the most gifted instrumentalists of our time. This year has a special meaning for the Japanese-American who celebrates the 30th anniversary of her international debut.

Since her first appearance in 1982 with the New York Philharmonic, the 41-year-old has played all over the world. But what makes her unique among elite musicians is that she is also one of the most devoted teachers and passionate advocates of music education. She divides her time between concertizing and teaching at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California (USC). Star soloists of her caliber usually teach master classes, and few commit themselves as faculty members of music institutes while in their 30s. Midori has been teaching since her early 30s, starting with the Manhattan School of Music.

She is the founder of Midori & Friends, bringing classical music to public elementary schools in the United States and reaching some 100,000 children annually. She also heads other programs like Music Sharing, constructed to bring together classical Western and traditional Japanese music.

At the start of her 30th anniversary year in January, she received the prestigious Crystal Award at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in recognition of her "20-year devotion to community engagement work worldwide." The World Economic Forum bestows the Crystal Award on artists who have made a special contribution to the international community. Previous winners include cellist Yo-Yo Ma and El Sistema founder Jose A. Abreu.

In addition, USC President C. L. Max Nikias has named Midori a "distinguished professor," an award given "very selectively to those whose accomplishments have brought special renown to USC." Known as professor Goto at USC, she is the holder of the Jascha Heifetz Chair, leading the string department of the prestigious music school. Goto is Midori’s last name, which she does not use as a professional violinist.

In 2007, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon named her an official U.N. Messenger of Peace, lauding her community engagement work as a "model of exemplary commitment to worldwide goals shared by the U.N."

The last time Midori was in Korea was in 2010, playing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major with the KBS Symphony Orchestra. Prior to that, she delivered a recital program of Debussy, Beethoven, Brahms and Isang Yun at the Seoul Arts Center in 2004.

To learn more about the artist's 30th anniversary plans, The Korea Times conducted an email interview with Midori.

Here are excerpts from that interview with the violinist, who had just finished a concert in Lugano, Switzerland.

Q. Thirty years in any career is an exceptional achievement. To what would you owe your longevity as one of the most sought-after classical musicians of our time?

A. I prefer not to think of my career in those terms, however; rather, I have continued to pursue the violin because I love to play it, and I am continually moved by music we have in this world. I am also amazed by the power that music has to bring people together, regardless of their background, interests, or nationality. It is these special qualities which have driven me to continue to make music, and I consider myself very fortunate to have had many opportunities to do so throughout my life.

Q. Looking back at your career, what stands out as your proudest achievement(s) and failure(s)? And what are some of the highlights of your 30th anniversary plans?

A. I prefer not to see my life as a series of episodes or to organize it with certain junctures. Rather, it is always on a continuum and everything in and around my life interact and influence each other. In sum, it is a great privilege to be living in this world. I am grateful to be able to be here, in this world, for all the challenges and beauty I am able to experience.

The 30th anniversary season is exciting for many reasons, including orchestral and recital engagements in the United States, Europe, and Asia, as well as a variety of outreach concerts and residencies. I am also very happy to continue to serve as chair of the Strings Department at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California.

Q. In the last three decades that you have been performing professionally, there has been a noticeable rise of Asian classical musicians, at international competitions, major orchestras and concert stages. What do you think is the reason for such phenomenon?

A. I think there could be many potential reasons, and one could write a whole thesis on this topic. I would simply say that one of the things that has really changed our world is the access we have to traveling and communication technology. These have changed the way we live, our concepts of time, our sense of connectedness with others, etc.

Q. A heavy focus seems to lie in education and community engagements. What motivates you to be such a passionate teacher and advocate of music education? Do you have any messages for young Korean musicians interested in this line of work?

A. My interest in community engagement and education programs extends back to the beginning of my career. As budget cuts in the United States prompted public schools to reduce and eliminate arts education programs, I felt that I could no longer stand by without taking action. My response to this situation was to found Midori & Friends (http://midoriandfriends.org) in 1992. This organization serves the New York City area and aims to provide music education programs of many types to students in underserved public schools.

As time went on, I have developed other outreach programs as well. These include Music Sharing (http://www.musicsharing.jp/en/profile/index.html), which began as the Tokyo branch of Midori & Friends but has since expanded to include a variety of different programs around Asia; Partners in Performance (pipmusic.org), an organization dedicated to co-sponsoring chamber music performances in parts of the United States which otherwise lack the resources necessary for such concerts; and the Orchestra Residencies Program (gotomidori.com/orp), an organization that provides week-long residency programs with American and international youth orchestras in order to provide meaningful educational experiences for students.

As each of these projects has developed, I find the experiences of working with communities to share the joy of music making to be endlessly inspiring. I hope very much that many young musicians who may be interested in this type of work are able to share in that inspiration and joy, and that they strive to create opportunities for educational involvement where there may not be existing ones available.

Q. What is the practice regimen like for such a virtuoso as yourself?

A. Because I travel frequently and don't have a regular schedule, I don't typically have a set practice regime. I practice whenever I can, and that often means early in the mornings before rehearsals or after concerts late in the evening. However, I find that a minimum requirement of a few hours of practice per day is necessary, to say the least. It's also not about the amount of hours but the quality of work pursued and accomplished. That, however, usually ends up taking six to seven hours every day, and I somehow put it in around the touring, the teaching, and everything else.

Q. Are there any plans to visit Korea in the near future?

A. I hope very much to visit Korea in the near future as I always enjoy visiting Seoul as well as other Korean cities. I do come across many student musicians from Korea. They are all so diligent! I do have one violin student in my studio from Korea.