Activist
Bassoonist • Educator • Activist • Scholar
Midori Samson works determinedly to participate in musical activities that exemplify social justice, equity and inclusion, education and engagement, anti-racism, and peace. Born in Portland, Oregon to a father of Filipino/Japanese descent and a mother of Celtic/Scandinavian descent, Midori’s exploration of her biracial identity impacts her vision of activism; she aims to create brave spaces for others to celebrate their own unique identities. Thus, she travels annually to rural India with Artists Striving to End Poverty to lead interdisciplinary workshops at Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project. She has facilitated similar community engagement work in Austin, New Orleans, New York City, and Guatemala. Her proudest work is as the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Trade Winds Ensemble (TWE), an organization that hosts composition workshops in partnership with social impact organizations around the world. Their partners include a refugee center in Chicago, a shelter for youth with diverse SOGIE in Detroit, and a school re-entry program in Tanzania. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, TWE is curating a series of interactive music modules for their partners this summer. Her work with TWE led to many awards including Juilliard’s Joseph W. Polisi “Artist as Citizen” Prize, the McGraw-Hill Foundation Award for Music Education and Community Outreach, and a Wisconsin Idea Grant. Additionally, she regularly organizes concerts that benefit local social impact organizations that serve women, refugees, and youth, and was a faculty advisor for the Student Coalition for Equity in Music at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Recently in partnership with The Peace Studio and the Ubumuntu Arts Festival, she travelled to Rwanda to help write an original play with local artists to honor the 25th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. As a continuation of her work with the Peace Studio, Midori was selected as a 2021 Creative Peacebuilder and contributed a new work by Brandon Scott Rumsey to the 100 Offerings of Peace campaign.
