Renowned Japanese violinist to visit Elgin students

Elgin Area School District U-46 orchestra students will have the chance to tune in to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity come October.

As part of renowned Japanese violinist Midori's weeklong residency with the Elgin Symphony and Youth Orchestra Oct. 1-5, the artist will devote a half-day to visiting with budding U-46 elementary, middle and high school musicians.

From 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 2, Midori will visit Larkin High School for a free "open coaching" of the Elgin Youth Symphony's Maud Powell Quartet. The quartet includes Larkin senior cellist Colin Clark.

About 300 fourth- through twelfth-grade orchestra students from U-46's 53 schools will be bused in to Larkin to view the coaching, district Fine Arts Coordinator Terri DeDecker said.

Approximately 200 members of Larkin's Visual and Performing Arts Academy will also attend the session, DeDecker said.

After the coaching, Midori will hold a round-table discussion for U-46 music teachers and Elgin Symphony Orchestra staff. The discussion, Elgin Symphony Education Manager Erin Horan said, will cover the state of music education in District U-46 and how the ESO can further support music education in Elgin and the surrounding suburbs.

The Elgin Symphony and Youth Orchestra first learned Midori would be coming to town over a year ago, Horan said.

The stop at Larkin High School was arranged this spring.

"We're absolutely thrilled. It's huge," DeDecker said. "We've really been working on building our partnership with the Elgin Symphony for the past few years ... this is just a magnificent opportunity."

As part of her Orchestra Residency Program, Midori yearly conducts two weeklong visits with selected youth orchestras which have ties to a small professional orchestra. Since 2005, Midori has conducted programs in Alaska, Minnesota, New Mexico, Vermont, Montana, South Dakota, North Carolina and Iowa.

For the 2008-09 season, Elgin and Mobile, Alabama were selected.

Also slated for Midori's October visit to Elgin is a visit with Judson University students, a Brahms concert at the Hemmens Cultural Center, and a performance with St. Charles North High School's violinists.

"This is probably the biggest name we've gotten in town, not only to perform with the orchestra, but with students in the area as well," Horan said.