Barre-Montpelier Times Argus(Vermont), November 10, 2003

Midori Virtuosity Packs Randolph's Chandler
By JIM LOWE

No surprise that Midori could toss off the violin pyrotechnics of Paganini with ease - she's been doing that on the international stage since she was 11. But Friday at Chandler Music Hall the violin superstar, now in her 30s, delivered the much more substantial music of J.S. Bach and Brahms convincingly and in her own very personal and intimate style.

Still, it was in the music of the late French Romantic composer Camille Saint-Saens, the seldom-heard Sonata No. 1 in d minor, Opus 75, that Midori excelled. Here, her virtuoso technique allowed her to maintain the phrasing and direction of the complex work, giving it a sense of urgency and delivering its many emotions. More importantly, she used her silky tone with a natural lyricism that revealed the beauty of this unusual work.

Midori used that same sensitivity and natural style in her two French encores. Her natural lyricism made "The Spring" by 20th century composer Darius Milhaud truly sing, without ever losing any of its French spiciness. In the third movement of Faure's A Major Sonata, a scherzo, she combined a naturally rhythmic staccato with her lyricism for a beautiful performance. [...]

For the first time in memory, the 600-seat Chandler was sold out for a classical music concert. Not everyone was a regular concert-goer, proven by the applause after the first movement of the Brahms. But everyone certainly got more than their money's worth, and they showed their appreciation with one of the most enthusiastic standing ovations seen in this neck of the woods in recent years.