Midori Komachi


Midori Komachi is a Japanese violinist, composer, translator and radio presenter based in London. She is internationally recognised for bridging traditional and contemporary music of the United Kingdom and Japan, and for her interdisciplinary work combining music with visual arts, architecture and cultural heritage.

Early life and education

Komachi was born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, and moved abroad at the age of three. She grew up in Hong Kong and Switzerland, moving to the United Kingdom at age 15 to study independently.
She began violin studies at age seven. At age 11, she commenced studies at the Basel Academy of Music under Adelina Oprean. The following year, at age 12, she made her orchestral debut performing with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra conducted by Howard Griffiths.
Komachi graduated with first-class honours from the Royal Academy of Music in London.
She is currently an AHRC-funded PhD candidate at Goldsmiths, University of London, researching the intersections of music, space and cultural heritage. She is also an Adjunct Lecturer at Queen's University, Canada.

Career

Performance

As a solo violinist, Komachi has performed extensively throughout Europe and Japan at prestigious venues including Tonhalle Zürich, the Warsaw Philharmonic Concert Hall, and Wigmore Hall.
In April 2014, she gave a recital at British House Yokohama, performing works by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst, Hubert Parry, Benjamin Britten and her own English folksong arrangements.
In March 2024, Komachi embarked on a UK tour titled "On an Endless Road: Ito Noe and the Women Composers of Her Time", with performances at the Actors' Church in Covent Garden, the University of Huddersfield, the University of Manchester, and the Howard Assembly Room in Leeds.

Delius research and advocacy

In 2012, Komachi launched a concert project sponsored by the Courtauld Institute of Art based on her research theme "Delius and Gauguin". The concert series subsequently toured London, Cambridge and Tokyo. In 2013, she was honoured by the Delius Society of the United Kingdom.
In 2014, Komachi received funding from Arts Council England to record her debut album "Delius and Gauguin" and undertake a UK tour.
In 2017, she published her Japanese translation of Eric Fenby's memoir Delius as I Knew Him, released by Artes Publishing. She subsequently developed the "Delius Project" with music journalist Hayashi Naoki, which included various events and CD releases.

British music scholarship and translation

Komachi is a bilingual writer and translator specialising in English and Japanese music. In 2022, she co-translated Simon Heffer's biography Vaughan Williams into Japanese, published by Artes Publishing.
She regularly contributes columns and articles to Japanese music publications, including a series titled "Journey through British Music" in ONTOMO Music Magazine.
In May 2022, Komachi appeared on BBC Radio 3's "Vaughan Williams Today" programme discussing the composer's work.

Composition and sound installation

Komachi works extensively in composition and immersive sound installation, collaborating with architects, designers and visual artists. Since 2017, she has collaborated with MSCTY, founded by Nick Luscombe, on creating sound installations and original music for major brands including LUSH and OPPO.
Her commissioned works include:

London Design Biennale 2025

For the Japan Pavilion at the London Design Biennale 2025, Komachi composed music for "Paper Clouds: Materiality in Empty Space", designed by SEKISUI HOUSE – KUMA LAB and curated by Clare Farrow. The installation occupied Somerset House's historic Nelson Stair, featuring cloud-like structures made from Washi paper.
Komachi's composition incorporated the sounds of Washi paper interacting with the body, inspired by the Japanese concept of Sawari – the distinctive sound created by friction on surfaces. The project included live musical performances, with Komachi wearing a recyclable Washi paper dress inspired by traditional Japanese armour, designed by fashion designer Toshiki Hirano.
The project also provided educational opportunities through a workshop with the London Music Fund's Senior Scholars, who subsequently performed alongside Komachi in live performances throughout the Biennale.

Chashitsu: Auditory Tea Room

In October 2025, Komachi premiered her album and live performance project Chashitsu: Auditory Tea Room at the Royal Albert Hall's Elgar Room. The sold-out performance, created in collaboration with MSCTY founder and producer Nick Luscombe, drew inspiration from Chashitsu and Chadō.
The album was praised by A Closer Listen, which described it as "an instantly endearing release" that "translates the principles of the Japanese tea ceremony into silence and sound".

Broadcasting and media

BBC Radio 3

In 2018, Komachi served as adviser for BBC Radio 3's Japanese music series "Night Blossoms". For the documentary programme "Music Matters", she conducted fieldwork in Japan and provided simultaneous interpretation, working with music journalist Tom Service to introduce various artists active in Japanese traditional music, contemporary music and video game music.
Komachi has appeared on BBC Radio 3's "In Tune" and other programmes discussing British and Japanese music.

British Airways

In December 2018, Komachi began presenting the audio programme "Midori Selects" for British Airways' in-flight entertainment system, which continued into subsequent years.

Other media

Komachi has appeared on Japanese radio programmes including Blue Radio.com's "Café Figaro", OTTAVA, and ANA World Air Current.

International residencies

From 2019, Komachi served as artist-in-residence for the British Council in partnership with the PRS Foundation. She developed a project with Diamantina, Brazil, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2020–2021, the residency continued in digital format during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Discography

Albums

  • Delius and Gauguin – MusiKaleido
  • Chashitsu: Auditory Tea Room – MSCTY

Selected compositions

  • "Tranquility" – Nonclassical
  • "Song of Koki-riko" – Nonclassical
  • "Window" – Nonclassical

Publications

Translations

  • Song of Summer: The Real Delius by Eric Fenby, translated by Midori Komachi, supervised by Daisaku Mukai
  • Vaughan Williams by Simon Heffer, co-translated by Midori Komachi and Nobuya Takahashi

Columns and articles

  • "Journey through British Music" – ONTOMO Music Magazine
  • "Musician's Bookshelf" – Ongaku No Tomo Music Magazine

Honours and appointments