San Jose Mercury News, April 27, 2005

Virtuoso violinist Midori mixes audacity with emotion and execution
By RICHARD SCHEININ

Midori offers a paradigm for musicianship: refined technique leads to refined emotion. Exquisite craft begets beauty. Or put another way, the violinist's performances balance refinement and fire. ...

It was a pleasure to hear this artist in the 300-seat hall: Every sound and gesture was super-evident. And the sounds and gestures seemed connected: Midori's bow technique is somehow evocative of fine calligraphy. Her gestures and movements evoke ballet; they complement the music's lines, rhythms and internal processes. After a while, the recital almost felt like a multimedia performance. Add on the near-telepathic communication between Midori and her longtime pianist, Robert McDonald, and you had music of a very high caliber.