Without doubt, the Mihoko Goto concert on October 12, 2019, was a landmark experience for HARTS and AWAM. This “first” Japanese experience drew an audience of about a hundred people from the larger community as well as from Duluth’s Sister City program.

Mihoko Goto astounded the audience in many ways. The petite woman with a standard 19” accordion literally danced around the stage. Always standing and fully memorized, her solos included concert pieces like Magnante’s “Accordion Boogie”, Confrey’s “Dizzy Fingers”, Piazzolla’s “Libertango”, and even Bach’s “Toccata in D-Minor”. Her encore of “Dark Eyes” was an expansive version she had arranged. Most pieces included improvisational sections she composed that showed off her technical skills, but more significantly, proved her ability to conceive music imaginatively and realize it through exceptionally controlled dynamics. Often her fully expanded bellows curled around her small body as the voluminous sound belied her fragile appearance.

She also told us about her studies in Japan, complicated by lack of music and teachers, which necessitated learning through careful listening to recorded performances. But it also encouraged her to compose original pieces and to set traditional Japanese tunes in contemporary styles, a few of which she played. Mihoko became the accompanist when her friend Chiharu Ebihara took the lead voice in two American West duets. Their precisely coordinated ensemble and Chiharu’s calm, tremolo melodies imitated a cowboy’s harmonica as striking contrasts in the program.

It should be mentioned that Ebihara made the first contact with us to ask about playing at HARTS. After checking out Mihoko’s website samples, I immediately agreed to set the date for our concert. The ladies did not ask for an honorarium, but were well rewarded by generous voluntary donations, many standing ovations and shouts of “Bravo.” Many in the audience were overheard to call this concert “the best ever.”

We were privileged to hear the skills of these women. For those who missed the event and for everyone who did not, their repeat appearance during our World Accordion Day Festival on May 2, 2020, will be a greatly anticipated event.