Midori Larsen

Composer, taiko player, pianist, educator

Midori Larsen is a New York City-based award-winning composer, taiko player, pianist, and educator. Her music combines Japanese taiko drums and Western musical instruments and integrates  elements of Western classical, jazz, and Japanese music. A classically trained pianist with a PhD in piano performance from NYU, Larsen became a composer and taiko player while caring for a school-aged child. Within just two years, she received multiple grants for her original compositions including Queens Council on the Arts (2021), New Music USA (2022), and Flushing Town Hall (2022). She composes music based on empowering stories of the lived experiences of herself and other immigrant mothers and seeks to inspire her listeners–especially immigrant mothers and girls–to pursue their passion and lead their own lives. Her current project,“Crossing the Seas,” is a series of chamber music compositions reflecting on her migration journey and sharing stories of other Japanese immigrant mothers. This series highlights topics of living a purposeful life and motherhood. Midori was an Artist-in-Residence at Culture Lab LIC in 2022. 

Midori is originally from Yokosuka City, Japan.