TAKE A BOW MIDORI SHEDS CHILD-PRODIGY LABEL TO GROW AS AN ARTIST IN 20 YEARS OF PERFORMING AND RECORDING.

Byline: Sandra Barrera Staff Writer

Twenty years will soon have passed since the world first caught a glimpse of Midori.

The former child violin prodigy has blossomed into an immense success both on and off the concert stage. It was a painless transition, one that Midori credits to her passion for more than just playing music.

``I've always tried keeping my mind stimulated, engaged in the things that interest me,'' said Midori, who on Friday begins a two-week residency with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. ``I think that's always kept me refreshed as a human being.''

Midori's interests are broad. They span from performing and educating children about music through her foundation to continuing her education.

All the while, Midori has maintained a productive recording career for Sony Classical. Her latest album is the radiant ``French Violin Sonatas,'' featuring sonatas by Claude Debussy, Francis Poulenc and Camille Saint-Saens, with pianist Robert McDonald. Critics call her technique dazzling and hail her for knowing how ``to communicate to the audience.''

To have accomplished so much takes great discipline, of which the 31- year-old artist says she has plenty, thanks to her violin studies.

Great beginnings

Midori, born Midori Goto in Osaka, Japan, began studying the violin as a toddler with her mother. In 1982, she made her professional debut as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic at the invitation of Zubin Mehta, who was impressed by Midori's playing.

He wasn't the only one who was impressed by her performance at that New Year's Eve concert, topped off by a standing ovation. In the last two decades, Midori has worked alongside such notables as conductor Claudio Abbado, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the legendary violinist Isaac Stern.

And, of course, there was what has become a legendary concert with the great Leonard Bernstein.

Midori was playing Bernstein's ``Serenade,'' with the composer conducting, when one of her violin strings snapped. As customary, the concert master handed over his violin to the 14-year-old, who then snapped yet another string. Another violin was handed to Midori, who all the while kept playing.

That 1986 violin-swapping, jaw-dropping performance made the front page of The New York Times and is remembered by many of her admirers as the now-famous ``incident at Tanglewood.''

Deborah Borda, executive director of the L.A. Philharmonic, wasn't on hand for that particular performance. Her association with Midori began shortly thereafter, although Borda says she has been following the violinist's career since day one.

``Midori has had a remarkable journey as an artist, and I think it's a fascinating one,'' Borda said. ``It looked as if she was going to be typecast as a child prodigy, and she's escaped that so beautifully. She's developed in so much of a broader way emotionally, musically, intellectually. She's always looking to expand her horizons.''

It's no wonder Borda calls Midori ``one of our most important American artists.''

In the early '90s, after years of hearing about severe budget cuts in arts programs for public elementary schools, Midori started thinking about ways in which she could help.

``Knowing how music opens up the spirit and one's creative abilities, in that music could be a path to other expressive arts and vice versa, I knew something had to be done,'' Midori said. ``I wanted to make my desire to share music active and immediate, and I wanted to develop a long-range program that encompassed a wide range of music, from classical to jazz, Latino to African.''

Her brainstorming led to Midori & Friends, the nonprofit organization that now celebrates its 10th anniversary of making music instruction available at no cost to needy schools in the New York City area.

Thousands of children have been reached through the program, which provides free music lessons and organizes evening concerts for young musicians to showcase their talents.

``Although we are not a performance-based organization, I do perform at these schools, as do my colleagues, and we delight in having the chance to talk with these children, who without exception respond with their own delight, enthusiasm and real joy,'' Midori said.

Midori & Friends doesn't have programs outside of New York City, but it hasn't stopped the famous violinist from working with children wherever or whenever there is a need.

As part of her residency program with the L.A. Philharmonic, celebrating the 20th anniversary of her professional debut, Midori will participate in the orchestra's ``Music Matters'' education program.

Part of the program includes a benefit chamber music concert Sunday at the Colburn School with members of the L.A. Philharmonic and American Youth Symphony. The program will feature music by Mozart, Dvorak and Brahms.

In addition to live performances, Midori also plans to spend a day visiting children at local schools. ``This is a project I have been looking forward to immensely,'' Midori said. ``We have exciting plans, designed and worked out with fervor.''

Study in contrasts

But Midori seems to do everything with fervor. Between extensive concert dates with some of the world's most prestigious symphony orchestras and everything else that she's got going on in her life, Midori has found time to go to college.

She is a master's candidate at New York University, where she graduated magna cum laude two years ago with a bachelor's degree in psychology and gender studies.

So what makes a world-class violinist decide to go for a psychology degree?

``I can't answer that,'' Midori said with a laugh. ``I went into college thinking that I would do completely different things, and psychology was as far as Mars is.''

Midori, who's in the midst of writing her master's thesis on pain research, says she plans on going back to college to pursue another degree outside of psychology.

As for now, Midori - who will always be known as the first of a group of extraordinary young violinists - has an anniversary to celebrate.

MIDORI WITH THE LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC, CONDUCTED BY ESA-PEKKA SALONEN

Where: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.

When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets: $14 to $82. Call [phone] or www.laphil.com.

Playlist and additional concerts: At this weekend's concerts, Midori will play Sibelius' Violin Concerto as part of an all-Scandinavian program with Grieg's ``Peer Gynt Suite'' and Carl Nielsen's Symphony No. 5.

Midori will perform additional concerts at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Nov. 23. A free preconcert event with music expert Thomas Osborn takes place in the Pavilion's Grand Hall one hour before each performance. On Wednesday, Thursday and Nov. 23, she will perform Samuel Barber's Violin Concerto. It will be paired between Beethoven's Symphony No. 3, ``Eroica,'' and the Los Angeles premiere of Christopher Rouse's ``Rapture.''

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Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Veteran of the violin

Midori, 31, has two decades of professional playing under her bow

(2 -- 3) no caption (Midori)