Violin Master Class with Midori

December 5, 2023, 11:28 PM · On Sunday morning, I attended a master class with famed violinist and educator, Midori, a special event for the studio of New York City-based violin pedagogue Elizabeth Faidley. The dreary December weather did nothing to dampen the high energy and excitement in the packed theater.

Prior to any of the soloists taking the stage, five young violinists stood on stage, beautifully dressed and with huge smiles, ready to perform Vivaldi.

'The Violin Virtuosi': Romy Kim, Josephina Steiner, Teddy Wang, George Zhou, and Maya Pizzoferrato.

I felt revitalized as soon as I heard the first notes of this violin quintet. These remarkable musicians, known as The Violin Virtuosi, represent the fourth incarnation of this ensemble under Elizabeth's studio, with its history of tours, performances, camaraderie, and a touch of magic. The ensemble presented a heartfelt welcome gift to Midori in the form of Vivaldi's Concerto in B Minor for Four Violins. In response, Midori generously bestowed her own miniature standing ovation, expressing her joy with laughter and spirited applause.

Renowned for her creative and innovative techniques in organizing masterclasses and events, Ms. Faidley's unique approach was evident in this masterclass, which diverged from the customary format that features three to four performers. Instead, she curated a showcase that featured an impressive 12 young students, ages seven to 17. Each violinist performed an excerpt while Midori watched with great delight, as if she were hearing pieces like the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto for the first time.

The first performer, Myla Larmond, from Burlington, Vermont, performed from William Grant Still's "Summerland" and Midori spoke to her about singing sound and vibrato. When there is a long note, she said, nothing in the note stays static, as in singing. Feel the movement in every note, even if it is a half note.

The second two performers, a dynamic duo of two tiny girls, one from Osaka, Japan and one from Meridian, Idaho, performed excerpts from Lalo's Symphonie Espagnole. To the two Lalo girls, Marina Herran and Mia Huang, Midori spoke about different characters in the Lalo, and of the special quality of the G string. She asked Mia, playing a 1/4 size violin, to really bring out the G string sound. The audience was amazed when she was able to draw even more sound out with her tiny violin and bow.

Midori with Marina Herran.

Romy Kim (Brooklyn, NY), the leader of Violin Virtuosi, gave a fiery performance of the final page of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. Midori asked Romy to find more musicality in the 16th notes. She asked everyone to think about running passages as having just as much musical meaning as our singing passages.

Midori with Romi Kim.

In the second half of the program, we heard Josie Snaza, an 11-year-old from Minneapolis, perform a little more Mendelssohn. Midori talked about having more freedom in virtuosic sections so that you can bring out the fun and elegant character. Julia Reifsnyder, from Baltimore, performed Saint-Saens' exciting Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso. Midori talked about a sense of connection to the string, to the sound, to think "rounder" when releasing from the string.

Arianna Chan played the "Gigue" from Bach's Partita No. 3 in E major - a very effective solo performance, leading Midori to push her to the next step, teaching the young student about ornamentation in Bach. Arianna experimented with it on stage in front of 120 people!

Midori with violinist Arianna Chan

Annika Koh, from Toronto, performed the stormy Glazunov Concerto. They discussed the dark, searching sound and examined the score for better understanding of the precise dynamics when the violinist enters, after the orchestral triplets. She asked Annika to think about the incredibly difficult shifts in Glazunov and held her scroll to represent how it would feel if we didn't have to handle everything ourselves!

The final two performers, Mia Robarts (Larchmont, NY), and Nicolas Lin (NY, NY), were both seasoned performers and really captivated the audience. Mia performed Amy Beach's Romance and Midori asked her, "Who is this for? What are you saying? Where is this person? What is your message exactly?" It's not enough to play with passion - we have to have a message as well. Nicolas dazzled with the Sibelius Concerto to end the program.

The audience was mesmerized from start to finish by all the beautiful performances and the swift transformations in playing that each talented player was able to accomplish through Midori’s insightful directions that really got to the heart of each piece. One student, Alex Wong, remarked, “to be in front of a legend and see her at work was just such an awe-inspiring and amazing experience."

"There were two main things that I took away: always play with a person and message in mind, and you have to build the house first before you add extensions," Alex said. "It was incredible to see how Midori was able to use these techniques specifically to elevate the already amazing performances by these students! For instance, Mia’s playing before was already jaw-droppingly incredible, but Midori’s advice of playing with a message and person literally made my heart race. It was incredible."

Each violinist was also fortunate to perform with Michael Wittenburg, a highly regarded collaborative pianist. At one point, Michael was playing a fiery section Mendelssohn with Midori, and it was a pinch-me moment for everyone in the room!

In her introduction, Ms. Faidley said, "Midori, today, as you stand before us to share your wisdom and insights in this masterclass, we are not merely spectators; we are students fortunate enough to learn from a living legend. Your commitment to education and nurturing the next generation of musicians is a testament to your belief in the transformative power of music to shape minds and hearts."

These students were extremely fortunate to play, at such a young age, for one of the most preeminent violinists of our generation. It is a memory that will be cherished for a lifetime and whose lessons will imbue their playing with a greater sense of purpose, passion and resolve.

One of Midori’s most central messages was to stay emotionally connected to each part of the music and to know your direction. This is sage advice, and reminds us to get out of doing things by rote and to stay emotionally invested in whatever it is we care about, an essential tenet to good musicianship, but also one we can take into our every day lives - enjoy and savor each moment.

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Replies

Richard Pairaudeau

December 6, 2023 at 05:57 PM · Thank you for a lively and detailed report!

Elisabeth Matesky

December 7, 2023 at 06:58 AM · As from ~ An original Artist Pupil of Jascha Heifetz's 7; "My Private 'Guinea Pig Heifetz Artist Pupil' I can now violinistically experiment with!" Quote Nathan Milstein, later Assistant-Help to The Nathan Milstein International Violin Master Course/s in Zurich, Debut in Summer 1970-72 & on "Standby"1970s due my return to the US to Concert Artist Tour/Teach Louis Krasner NY pupils of US Violinist, who premiered Alban Berg's Violin Concerto in NYC, acclaimed by Critics & New York City tough audience's!} ~ Re ~ **Midori Violin Master Class Forum **{#2}**

Not being present to see and hear all beautifully described by Liz Hogg, whom I confess not knowing, was most interesting from afar & quite a distance both geographically & musically. All stated, I do

know about much of what Midori imparted to the must be adorable young pupils with many of whom seemingly deeply focused & already dreaming of professional violinist careers, being vitally important to hear and to be in the same place of the Artist sharing valuable wisdom & with all the young violinists with personal kindness and caring ...

From one's own early experiences ~ hearing Toscha Seidel {Great Violinist, classmate of my later to be Violin Iconic Mentor, Jascha Heifetz} with his glorious lush Sound on his Stradivarius Violin in our Living Room at aged 5, with the Sound so embracing and in a deeply heartfelt and enriched way with many nuances in his Tchaikovsky and LvB Violin Concerti in Conductor/Soloist w/Piano Rehearsals with my Arnold Schoenberg's Pianist Mother at UCLA for All Professor Schoenberg's Advanced Classes & Impromptu of all his works performing of vast portions of his Atonal Orchestral and Chamber Symphony Orchestral Scores near flawlessly, I heard Sounds of Grand Expression at such an early age which so moved and dazzled my ear while touching my very young heart, one did make a personal Vow to try to sound as lush on my little violin and further continuing throughout my studies similarly to Toscha Seidel's glorious Sound and loving every note/phrase with subtle innuendi and interpretation which was fidel to the Score & with his "I only will play with Betty' collaborative pianist, in our suburban LA Living Room & quite frequently! Being so young were we with my most talented sibling, allowed to sit quietly to listen to the Conductor, {Poppa Ralph} and Soloist, Toscha Seidel, rehearse for upcoming Subscription Concerts to Open Dad's LA Orchestras Seasons & quite unknowingly, acquiring enriched ideas re Sound=Passion & Story Telling as shared generously by Grand Russian Violinist, Toscha Seidel!

It's with all the above in mind, that I can closely identify with the 'children', cum becoming young teens, experiences and some shared here who will take a Midori Mantra with them throughout their musical lives, and whether or not they become professional violinists or Loving Violin Music-Making Aficionados with other 'Day Jobs' yet never leaving the Fold of Violinist Lovers and of The Music, their lives will be long enriched and discerning of those Artists they hear ... This Midori Violin Master Class was unique in the presentation of 12 young violinists playing works they each loved and as one has forever told my own pupils, "If you Love the piece, it will Love you back!" It is frustrating to comment further not knowing Midori, yet aware she has been teaching for quite a while since holding The Heifetz Chair in Violin at the University of Southern California, & my alma mater having been in Mr. Heifetz's original Violin Master Class which was subsequently filmed and now on YouTube since Spring 2011, but prior premiered on would become PBS in NYC nationally, to at the time surprised acclaim by all violinists who never thought Heifetz would teach! But Teach JH did and it must be stated that the GOAT Violinist, Jascha Heifetz, greatly stressed the musical content and insisted even if one used differing bowings & fingerings, the Story and Style of the Violin Masterwork being played and studied be authentic and convincing of the messages of the Composer yet with JH kind attention if one stumbled in the filming process on a given passage or section of the work being played! {i.e. JH Violin Master Class - Khachaturian, JH-7, Elisabeth Matesky {Rus version. Library Master Performers} ^with Jascha Heifetz Pianist, Brooks Smith, when we had a 'traffic accident' and finding each other w/JH actually smiling widely conducting with his Drum Stick bringing both of us in!! ^

I know we're in a different 'Time' now, yet as is said: "The More Things Change, The More they Remain The Same" ~ This Sage Maxim is true to this moment in Time and from what one can glean, Midori has grown into a teacher of both artist sharing with younger ones yet imparting wisdom gained with all & generously to guide their future paths going forward which is very Beautiful ...

Thanking Liz Hogg for a very comprehensive Write Up of this Impressive Event, I look forward to reading many more Replies over the next days & from many 'Local's' on Violinist.com! Kudos to Editor, Laurie Niles, again for an inspiring beginning Holiday Season Subject focusing on Our Violinist Children & Lovingly!

~ ~ With Fond Holiday Greetings from Chicago ~ ~

............ Elisabeth Matesky ............

Fwd ~ dmg