This season, artist, activist and educator Midori celebrates her 40th stage anniversary and a remarkable career that began as an eleven-year-old in 1982 with a concert with the New York Philharmonic and Zubin Mehta. As one of the leading concert violinists, Midori delights audiences with elegant precision and deep expressiveness. She performs with renowned symphony orchestras, including the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, and collaborates with outstanding musicians and composers of her time. Just in time for the beginning of the anniversary season, her recording of the complete Beethoven Sonatas with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet was released by Warner Classics. Equally, the violinist is celebrating the 30th anniversary of »Midori & Friends«. The non-profit organisation offers music programmes for young people in New York City and brings both Western classical music and Japanese musical traditions into the lives of young people throughout Asia through a Japanese foundation. In recognition of her work, Midori was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2007.