St. Petersburg Times, April 18, 2005

Midori is daring and flawless
By JOHN FLEMING

With Midori the flawless technique is a given. What comes as a pleasant surprise is how daring an interpreter of the classics she is.

Midori the interpreter was on display right from the start of [her] recital ... as she and pianist Robert McDonald gave an exceedingly slow treatment to the opening phrase in the Largo of Mozart's Sonata in B flat major. The dramatic sense of that deliberate approach became clear as the pair worked their way into the lively Allegro, full of perfect little exchanges between violin and piano, then into the dreamy, heartfelt slow movement and dancelike finale. It was virtuosic all the way, but with just the right touch of offbeat individuality to make the performance different from standard-issue Mozart. ...

Midori is galvanizing to watch, the toughness of her playing belied by her porcelain doll appearance. Tossing her hair, swaying and bending deeply from the waist, she threw herself into the frantic 16th-note runs of the finale, as if possessed by the music.

The highlight of the evening was Midori's brilliant traversal of Bach's unaccompanied Violin Sonata in A minor. ... There was a deeply spiritual quality to the way Midori played the work, as in the achingly beautiful, long-held high note that ended the first movement. The polyphonous effect was painstakingly subtle in the Andante, and her combination of poise and intensity in the Allegro was amazing. A purity of tone shone through in even the flashiest passages.