The Seattle Times, February 6, 2004

By MELINDA BARGREEN

Seldom has a pianist partner played a bigger part in the success of a program. Robert McDonald, one of today's most highly regarded collaborative pianists, partnered Midori with a rare level of caring, delicacy and expertise. The playing in the final Allegro Molto movement of the Saint-Saens was beyond remarkable. McDonald's every note was not only perfectly in place, in an accompaniment of challenging difficulty, but also exactly attuned to Midori's incredibly fast passagework. Her bow arm was a blur; her tiny fingers moved even faster. That white-hot finale sent the audience to its feet for a well-deserved ovation.