Midori to Play Benefit Concert in Chicago Oct. 24

World-renowned violinist Midori will perform a benefit concert along with acclaimed pianist Özgür Aydin on Oct. 24 in the intimate, 372-seat Anne and Howard Gottlieb Hall at Merit School of Music, 38 S. Peoria St. in the West Loop.

The 7 p.m. recital, followed by a private reception with the artists, is sponsored by Chicago arts patrons Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Galvin and will directly support Merit School of Music's Scholarship Fund. Merit provides nearly $3 million in support annually to its students in the form of financial aid, scholarships, program subsidies, instrument loans, music supplies and more.

"As a long-time Merit National Advisory Board member, and founder of four community engagement initiatives of her own, Midori fully supports our mission to provide access to music education to all students," said Merit's President Duffie Adelson. "This rare opportunity to experience her artistry will be a wonderful inspiration to Chicagoans, particularly our own students."

Midori, who performs 100 concerts a year across the United States, Europe and Asia, played her last Chicago recital in July 2010. At that time, she also visited Merit and taught a master class for some of its violin and chamber music students.

On October 24, Midori and Mr. Aydin will be presenting a new program that includes the following compositions:
Sonata for Piano and Violin in E-flat Major, K. 380 (374f) W. A. Mozart
Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op. 134 D. Shostakovich
Sonata for Piano and Violin in A minor, Op. 105 R. Schumann
Fantasie in C for Piano and Violin, D. 934 F. Schubert

Individual concert tickets are $100 each. For more information, contact Merit's Development Associate, Ellen Gibbon, at 312-676-3692 or egibbon@meritmusic.org.

Since her debut at the age of 11 with the New York Philharmonic, Midori has established a 29-year record of achievement which sets her apart as a master musician, an innovator, and a champion of the developmental potential of children. Midori's performing schedule is balanced between recitals, chamber music performances and appearances with the world's most prestigious orchestras. Midori's 2011-2012 season will include recitals and master classes; tours of the U.S., Europe and Asia; and increasing her already extensive commitment to music education in her capacity as Chair of the Strings Department and Jascha Heifetz Chair in Violin at the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music. For more information, visit http://www.gotomidori.com/english/.

Merit School of Music, www.meritmusic.org, is a non-profit community music school providing high-quality classical and jazz music education to 6,000 Chicago-area students, from newborns to age 18. Founded in 1979, Merit seeks to help young people achieve their full potential, to remove economic barriers to participation, and to stimulate personal and educational growth through music. Its esteemed faculty teaches a continuum of instrumental programs leading to the Alice S. Pfaelzer Tuition-free Conservatory for the most advanced and motivated young musicians.

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