Midori
(c) Timothy Greenfield-Sanders
Violinist Midori will be a member of Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music from the 2018-19 school year, according to a press release. « In addition to the preeminent musical education offered at Curtis, the school’s emphasis on community engagement was a key element in Midori’s decision to relocate to Philadelphia. Curtis offers many opportunities for students to connect with local and global communities through the highest level of artistry, from project-based curricular offerings, to post-graduate fellowships, to performances in the community. »
Midori, 45, says: “I’m extremely excited about re-locating to Philadelphia to begin working at Curtis, the very institution that has trained a great number of the musicians I most respect, » said Midori. « Nurturing younger generations of musicians through lessons, coachings, and community collaborative activities has been closely intertwined with my teaching responsibilities. Community-building through music and connecting with young musicians are an important part of my career, and I look forward to exploring with them how we, as artists, can all become more a part of the culture of our community – particularly in Philadelphia. With this return to the East Coast I will also be close to New York City, where I grew up and still have family, as well as one of my non-profit organizations, Midori & Friends.”
During the 2017-18 academic year, Midori will visit Curtis a number of times to give masterclasses, attend student-centered activities, and work with students participating in the school’s community engagement programs and Artist-Citizen courses.
Midori comes to Curtis after 14 years on the faculty of the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, where she was a distinguished professor, a department chair for eight years. Prior to Thornton, Midori served on faculty at the Manhattan School of Music. She will teach full-time at USC through May 2018 and assume a role as a visiting artist there beginning in fall 2018.
