Japanese violinist Midori Goto arrived in San José Monday for a week of musical education and performances, a visit the Culture Ministry said will bring attention to the importance of music in the lives of children.
Midori – as she is known worldwide – spent part of Tuesday visiting the National Musical Education System´s (SINEM) schools in Desamparados and Pavas, two districts just outside San José. At a press conference earlier in the day, she said part of the reason she chose to come to Costa Rica was to see and support the three-year-old system and the country´s dedication to advancing the arts.
“I´m very much looking forward to working with and meeting with the teachers and students of SINEM this week,” Midori said. “We hope that by brining music and culture into their lives, they become more aware of their world and more a part of it.”
The violinist will perform with the National Symphony Orchestra twice while in the country: once on Friday at 8 p.m. and again Sunday at 10:30 a.m. During both performances – which will be held in the National Theater – she will be playing Tchaikovsky´s Violin Concerto, a piece picked out by the orchestra´s director, Chosei Komatsu, who also happens to be a close friend of Midori, the two said.
The concerts will also feature Beethoven´s Symphony No. 5 and Brahms´ Academic Festival Overture.
Tickets range from ¢3,000 (about $5.25) to ¢15,000 ($26.30) and are available at the National Theater´s box office (in Plaza de la Cultura) or by calling 2221-5341.
