Kobe Shimbun (Japan), June 19, 2004

The infinite joy of music: the violinist Midori plays at an elementary school in Kobe-

On June 18, the violinist Midori gave a performance for children at the Motoyama Third elementary school in Higashi-Nada, the area worst hit by the Kobe earthquake, to share with the children the beauty and the wonder of music.

The concert was one of the Lecture Concerts, the series begun in 1993 by Midori as a part of her NPO activities, delivering live music with her pianist partner Koji Oikawa to elementary schools and institutions around the country. The Kobe Earthquake Reconstruction Support Committee made an application on behalf of the school, which suffered greatly from the earthquake, in the hope of culturally re-building the school and the surrounding area.

Starting with Mozart's Sonata, Midori demonstrated her world-class artistry to 350 students in 4th to 6th grades. Between the pieces, she would talk about the composers, and unravel the story behind the music, encouraging the children to expand and explore their imagination through music.

Asked during a Question and Answer session what has motivated her to continue playing the violin, Midori stressed the importance of feeling grateful, answering that "people around me helped me to go forward".

A 5th grade boy, 10 years old, who has been playing the violin since the age of 5 and is now a fan of Midori, said "Midori made it so clear that a piece from one historical period is played differently from that of another period. I wanted to pick up my own violin and start practicing right away".