Midori Goto
USC Thornton School of Music
She’s one of the world’s few musicians recognizable by her first name. (For the record, her full name is Midori Goto.) Performing since the age of 7, Midori became an instant legend at 14 when, The New York Times recounts, “she took the stage at Tanglewood to perform Leonard Bernstein’s Serenade under his baton and soldiered through two broken strings to a stunning finale.” Midori joined USC in 2004 as holder of the Jascha Heifetz Chair in Violin. Her worldwide concert schedule notwithstanding, she is an active presence on campus, appearing frequently with student chamber groups, keeping up her private studio for a handful of promising violinists and overseeing the Midori Center for Community Engagement. She found time to speak with writer Allison Engel about her teaching philosophy and the country’s musical health.
How did you become involved in music at such a young age?
The instrument was a regular presence in my life from the very beginning, as my mother is a violinist, and her students were always around our house. My inclination toward the violin came quite naturally in a typical child’s way of wanting to emulate her mother.
What can you tell me about your violin?
It is an Italian 1734 Guarnerius del Gesu ex-Hubermann violin that I have played for eight years. It is on a lifetime loan from the Hayashibara Foundation.
You give more than 100 concerts a year. What kind of adjustments do you have to make to keep such a busy schedule, both on and off stage?
I fly to every concert outside of the Los Angeles area, so I’m pretty much traveling a part of the week every week. I try to come back to L.A. at least once a week, even if it’s only for 24 hours to give lessons. I don’t like to be away from my students.
For a while, you taught simultaneously at the Manhattan School of Music and USC. What made you decide to teach full-time at USC?
The most important reason is that I wanted to work at a school where Robert Cutietta is the dean. He is a fantastic leader and visionary, and I continue to be motivated to be in the school where he is. Equally important is the department. Our string department is imbued with a wonderfully warm and caring atmosphere, which is felt by students. In addition, I like the university setting with a wider range of interests and resources than a conservatory.
Over the past several semesters, you performed with a number of undergraduate and graduate student-based quartets. By playing the second violin part in these ensembles, you create an environment in which your students become equal partners. Is playing with students different from playing with professionals?
With students, making music together can mean an important shared process of learning. I keep the same group, most of the time, for two semesters. I usually have two groups per semester, an undergrad group and a graduate group. My own chamber music learning experience took place, for the most part, at the Marlboro Music Festival. There, older musicians take the supportive role to younger musicians, letting them take lead parts.
Tell me more about your teaching philosophy.
My teaching philosophy – if one could call it such – revolves around three basic elements: health, honesty and dignity. These are the pillars of ethics by which my students are encouraged to pursue their studies. To try to achieve the first two is quite a challenge, and the third is to accept the issues with dignity.
In 2006, you created the Midori Center for Community Engagement at USC. What is its purpose?
It’s a resource, research and training center related to working with the community through music. The training component is designed to guide young musicians toward truly engaging audiences through their art. To be a musician today requires skills, of which performing is only one. The center aims to formally train and prepare musicians for such responsibilities expected in their future careers.