By ROBERT MORAST

Midori's melody brings in new fans

It's remarkable that Midori - perhaps, the world's preeminent classical violinist - is running through a set of classical numbers on the stage of Dawson's small, but packed, Memorial Auditorium.

Dawson isn't a cultural vacuum. But this farming community of about 1,500 people isn't Carnegie Hall either, much less a regular stop on the touring routes of classical performers. Yet on a recent Friday night, this polite and quaint town hosted an intimate and inspiring performance by Midori and pianist Robert McDonald. .

Midori's haunting string work is being enjoyed by a collection of teens and pre-teens.Much of the auditorium's first two rows are filled with young boys and girls. Some dressed for the occasion in strapless evening gowns or shirt-and-tie ensembles. And throughout the two-hour performance of music that's likely absent from any of their iPod playlists - some Dvořák, Beethoven and John Corigliano - these kids don't look to be bored at all. They don't fidget. They aren't whispering in ears. Their cell phones aren't even buzzing with incoming text messages.

As Midori's graceful technique creates sonic accents by quivering her fret hand on the instrument's taut strings, the rapt young ears and eyes marvel at the emotive and complex work of a modern day master. When she breaks, they clap with enthusiasm. They seem to recognize the scope of this unlikely cultural treat.

In a musical genre that holds fears its appeal will die with its primarily "senior" fan base, this sight could be an encouraging moment for the future. And if it does facilitate an appreciation of classical music in these young minds, Midori deserves the credit for furthering her medium's fan base. .

"I consider the community work the bread and butter of what I do," Midori says after her Dawson performance. It's a fitting metaphor. She's basically feeding young or curious minds the import of her art. And if the Dawson experience can serve as a litmus test for America at large, people are hungry.

Following Midori's rousing run through European standards and contemporary atonal masterpieces, the violinist stepped to a nearby cafeteria hall and spent an hour signing autographs and taking photos with appreciative concertgoers. Granted, there was a large collection of Sioux Falls and Minneapolis people who came to Dawson just to hear Midori. But the bulk of those waiting to meet the violinist appeared to be small town Minnesotans. .

Wordless but not without form, her music was flawless and clean. But Midori's genius is her ability to fill each note or passage with type of mind-numbing emotion that makes any music about "anything" we want it to be. Like an emotional looking glass, it reflects our lives through the prism of performance. With the classical world auditing its relevance in a rapidly evolving society, this kind of performance, whether in Dawson, Minn., or Berlin, Germany, can ignite passions. .

That Midori chooses to share her gift with rural America only reinforces the fact that classical fans can be found everywhere.