Hamilton, NY — Violinist Midori, who first came to public attention at age 10 when she debuted with the New York Philharmonic, and her partner-pianist Robert McDonald, will be in residence March 4 and 5 at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø. During that time the two will perform and hold masterclasses, and Midori will give a public lecture. All of these events are free and open to the public. Midori and McDonald serve as 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s 1999-2000 Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation Artists-in-Residence.
Midori has developed beyond the technical finesse of a child prodigy and has reached depths of emotional maturity that mark her as a true artist. In spite of a worldwide performance schedule, Midori devotes a significant portion of each season to her work with Midori & Friends, a nonprofit organization that she founded to provide concerts and other educational activities to elementary schools in areas where the children might otherwise not be exposed to classical music. Robert McDonald is Midori’s longtime pianist-partner. The interplay between the two artists is almost psychic, as each urges the other to reach their fullest potential. McDonald currently serves as a member of the piano faculty at the Peabody Conservatory.
Saturday, March 4 provides several opportunities to hear from the artists. Midori will offer a masterclass from 10 a.m. to noon in the Chapel. At 1:00 p.m., she will give a talk about music education and her educational foundation Midori & Friends, in Merrill House, where coffee and dessert will be served. From 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., McDonald will give a masterclass in the Chapel.
On Sunday, March 5 at 3:30 p.m., the two will provide a concert in the Chapel. Doors will open at 2:50 p.m. and admission is limited to the first 750 concertgoers. The concert will feature Bach’s Sonata No. 3 in E Major, BWV 1016; the Poulenc Sonata (1943); Webern’s Four Pieces, Op. 7; and Beethoven’s Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47 ‘Kreutzer.’ For more information, or a spring concert calendar, call the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Concertline at 315-228-7642.
Founded in 1819, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø is a nationally ranked, highly selective, residential, liberal arts college. Situated on a rolling 515-acre campus in central New York State, 51³Ô¹ÏÍø attracts motivated students with diverse backgrounds, interests and talents from all over the United States.