BOWDOIN — Famed virtuoso violinist Midori will visit the Bowdoin International Music Festival for the first time on Sunday and Monday, July 1-2. She will perform all of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin.

Born in Osaka, Japan, in 1971, Midori began studying violin at an early age. In 1982, Zubin Mehta invited her to be a guest soloist for the New York Philharmonic’s New Year’s Eve concert, where she received a standing ovation and the impetus to begin a major career.

Besides annual recital tours worldwide, Midori teaches at the University of Southern California and works with several foundations she established to support instrumental education, chamber music in rural communities and youth orchestras.

Midori will perform at 4 p.m. on July 1 and at 7:30 p.m. on July 2 at Crooker Theater at Brunswick High School. Tickets are $40/$60 for both concerts.

For the festival’s “Wednesday Upbeat!” concert on July 4, Liang Wang, principal oboist of the New York Philharmonic, will perform Poulenc’s Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano, accompanied by pianist Elinor Freer and one of the festival’s woodwind fellows on bassoon.

The teacher-student duo of Boris Slutsky and Eric Zuber, two virtuoso pianists, will follow with Rachmaninoff’s Suite No. 2 for Two Pianos. Zuber is a 2012 member of the Bowdoin Virtuosi, a select group of prize-winning young artists invited to study and perform at the festival each summer.

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After intermission, the stage will belong to composer-in-residence Derek Bermel, who is currently artist-in-residence at the Institute for Advanced Study, composer-in-residence with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and creative adviser to the American Composers Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. His awards include the Rome Prize and Guggenheim and Fulbright fellowships. Three of his works will be played: “SchiZm” (pianist Emma Tahmizian with the composer on clarinet); Four Etudes for Solo Violin (four student virtuosi); and “Mulatash Stomp” (violinist Maria Schleuning, Bermel and Tahmizian).

“Wednesday Upbeat!” concerts are at 7:30 pm in Studzinski Recital Hall on the Bowdoin College campus. Tickets are $30.

The Artists of Tomorrow concert series, featuring the festival’s top students, is offered on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 7:30 pm in Studzinski Recital Hall. Suggested donation: $10. Student concert programs are announced the day of the concert. To receive email announcements of student concert programs, visit www.bowdoinfestival.org.

The July 6 “Festival Fridays” concert will feature Wang performing Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 1; the Ying Quartet performing Schubert’s Death and the Maiden string quartet; and David Coucheron, principal violin of the Atlanta Symphony, presenting Brahms’ String Sextet No. 1.

Festival Fridays concerts are held at 7:30 pm at Crooker Theater. Tickets are $40.

Festival performances will be held daily from June 25 through Aug. 3. Ticketed concerts are $30 to $40 for adults. Many concerts, masterclasses and other events  are free of charge. For a complete listing of all festival events and ticket information, visit bowdoinfestival.org. For more information, call 725-3895.


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