By KENNETH HERMAN

Midori in Recital at the Balboa Theatre:
Brilliant, refined, and profound

From her single-name trademark, you might imagine that Midori is classical music's answer to Cher.Or Bono. The Japanese-born but American-trained violin virtuosa exhibited star qualities at an early age, debuting with the New York Philharmonic at age 11 and astounding Leonard Bernstein and the Boston Symphony at the mature age of 14.

Not every prodigy winds up with a glamorous career, but Midori has negotiated well every transition. Her recital at the Balboa Theatre with pianist Özgür Aydin proved that at 39 she still commands a brilliant and refined technique, but more importantly, she displays a keen intellectual insight into the structural complexities and stylistic nuances of the music she chooses.

Her program was nothing short of a master class in what a recital should be: a well-balanced construct of the most demanding portions of the repertory.

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