Berlin Phil to feature 12 year-old violinist
OrchestrasHimari, the Japanese child who has been making violin videos since she was six years old, will make a Berlin Philharmonic debut next season with Zubin Mehta conducting. She will play Wieniawski Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor on March 20, 21 and 22, 2025.
Last year she played privately for Riccardo Muti in Chicago. After hearing the first movement of the first Paganini concerto and the Adagio from Bach’s Solo Sonata in G minor, Muti said, ‘how is this possible?’
Himari is presently studying with Ida Kavafian at Curtis and is agented by Naomi Ives at K D Schmid.
is this really a good idea, sounds very early….
Anne Sophie -Mutter debuted with Berlin Phil under Karajan at age of 13
A lot will depend on how balanced a child prodigy’s life is.
They can start balancing by using her full name — Himari Yoshimura (吉村 妃鞠) — instead of treating her like a “brand” when she’s barely into adolescence.
She is already famous by that name. You know nothing about it.
She played fabulously then, but has not done so without Karajan’s input, sadly.
Just to add George Horliono at 10 debuted such wonderfull talent not in a concert hall but with the difficult Waldheim (?)
Sonata played beautifully in
St Pancras Station.
…and many who read this blog will remember that it was Mehta who ushered in 11-year-old Midori’s concert career in 1982 with a New York Philharmonic debut.
Also in 1982, 12-year old Dimitris Sgouros gave his Carnegie Hall debut, performing Rachmaniov’s 3rd piano concerto under Mstislav Rostropovich. I don’t mean to underestimate him, but what happened to his career? Since the 1990s he has been primarily a local hero in his native country, Greece.
About a decade ago, there were some epic fights between Slippeddisc commentators about the talent of pre-adolescent Jackie Evancho, also about her rendition of “O mio babbino caro”. Ms. Evancho is unquestionably musical, but her premature ventures into opera still haven’t led her to perform, say, Gianni Schicchi’s Lauretta on stage.
Another Greek, violinist Leonidas Kavakos, gradually rose to prominence in his early 20’s, and gradually found his way as a soloist with top orchestras and conductors only in his late 30s. Now in his late 50s, he is a well established usual suspect.
I wish all the best to Himari, but first a foremost a nurturing childhood. Children need nothing less.
You ask what happened to Dimitris Sgouros’ career? That boy had EVERYTHING going for him in terms of talent – but he also had the one fatal obstacle to a major career – a mama! She decided she knew more than the many top industry professionals who tried to advise her, so they all abandoned him – leaving mama to run his career into the ground. Yes, he plays in Greece and on minor European circuits, but his promise was never fulfilled.
At that age, prime example Anne Sophie-Mutter and Midori, they have no ideas of their own, no agency of their own, they are more like automatons in dresses, they do as they are told by their old maestro mentors (Karajan, Mehta).
But age always catches up with technique, and then they are no longer prodigies but another 20-something, then 40-something, then middle-ager, just like their peers.
There is no intellectual maturity, their techniques go, Midori’s sound has become harsh and brittle, Sophie-Mutter wobbly and indulgent.
I wonder when BPO last played that concerto on a subscription concert.
I don’t know but it is of genuine interest.
“studying with Ida Kavafian” seems a bit of a stretch. Watching clips of her lessons the roles are reversed. Hardly anything of substance is uttered from the seated violinist, albeit her toes frequently pedaling the air. It reminds me of an episode of The View that my partner enjoys where Joy Behar is just too giddy to interview the guest.
Debut with Berlin Philharmonic at age 13 certainly will lead her bio for the following two decades or so.
I studied with Dorothy DeLay at Juilliard and she hardly uttered a word at my lessons or during her so-called master classes (I also studied with Ivan Galamian and participated in Nathan Milstein’s Zurich master classes). Ms. Kavafian, student of the great Oscar Shumsky, is a superb pedagogue who has produced numerous highly esteemed soloists – Benjamin Beilman , for one. Many of her students play in major orchestras and highly successful chamber ensembles. She is in great demand as a teacher and has one of the very best violin classes in the United States.
Yes, students of hers are so good that they were already very good before they got to her. How do you explain those efforts?
She is also in demand as a judge. Take a look at her bio. She is everywhere along I-95. Brava!
Some teacher somewhere is training the next gifted player that somehow manages to play well enough to enter The Curtis. And Curtis will take the credit. A student wins an international competition after a month at Curtis; which teacher gets the publicity?
I also learned with Miss Delay (my parents called her Dotty). She seemed to invest her time and energy in the ones who offered her the most rewards too
She was a nice lady, Miss DeLay, even if she possibly enjoyed her influence too much, but I could never fathom what people got from her lessons.
Any insult is aimed at moi même !
I trained at Welterweight for the 60s Olympics under Jack Ingle who during a 4 hour session had the Oistrach/Menuhin turning repeatedly…and nigh 60 years on I make sure I listen or
YouTube that recording Daily.
I nearly made the team but was
Beaten by one who eventually
became Chairman of Goldman Sacks !
Sequel…are you still there ?
I made the 64 team but then inspired by the Menuhin/Shankar ‘combo’
Ought I apologise ?
I would judge a pedagogue by their results, not by a few clips. I’ve seen a reputable pedagogue I personally knew rather well act in front of a camera. He acted quite charming. His quick wit served him well. It all had nothing to do with real lessons I observed or personally had with him.
This is a good point. But consider this young violinist was already exceptionally good, so good that she was an exceptionally strong applicant for the Curtis. Her strengths precede her entrance to this institution, and long precede the “violin book club chats” with Miss Ida Kavafian.
The best kind of teacher for her is on the other side of the Atlantic. Let us pray she someone guides her to proper nourishment. She is clearly being groomed as Hilary 2.0, Himari 1.0.
Her musicality and technical level already take her beyond all of the violin teachers at the Curtis. Have you seen the other recent hires? Tier 2 orchestra concertmaster and a Tier 2 orchestras soloist. The cello department, if one can think of it as something cohesive, has taken a massive fall. Orlando Cole, Lynn Harrell, Rostropovich, once held positions. Now—despite numerous great cello teachers with time on their hands—the best the Curtis can get is recent graduate who spends a considerable amount of time making entertaining, yes, short videos? David Soyer must be spinning in his grave.
Could they not get Ralph Kirshbaum from Los Angeles (Midori is balancing positions at both)? Did they even try? Or Stephen Doane from Rochester?
One cannot help but notice The Lincoln Chamber Society is gradually filling the faculty roster down in Philly.
Himari, you are brilliant! Make music! Germany has excellent violin professors: play, play, play!
I can’t speak about the present faculty of the Curtis. But I fully agree with you about the importance of earlier training.
You know you’re good when you can get by with just one name.
Midori
Cher
Madonna
Elvis
Liberace
Who is Himari?
Get me Himari!
Get me the next Himari!
Who was Himari?
She is a miracle.She is an angel. See her in YouTube by searching “HIMARI”
Was this girl a student of the Suzuki Method?
I don’t think so. Her mother is also a violinist named Kyoko Yoshida.
Before Sarah, Midori, or Anne-Sophie, there was Lilit Gampel: https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/98/09/13/specials/maynard-prodigy.html
https://www.nytimes.com/1972/06/09/archives/lilit-gampel-12-violinist-plays-like-mature-artist.html