Anne-Sophie Mutter

About

Official Site: http://www.anne-sophie-mutter.de/md_index.php

For nearly three decades Anne-Sophie Mutter has been one of the greatest violin virtuosos of our time. Born in Rheinfelden in the state of Baden, the violinist launched her international career at the Lucerne Festival in 1976. A year later she performed as a soloist at the Salzburg Whitsun Concerts under the direction of Herbert von Karajan. Since then Anne-Sophie Mutter has performed concerts in all the major music centers of Europe, the USA and Asia. In the addition to performing major traditional works she has continually treated her audiences to new and innovative repertoires: chamber music and orchestral works presented on equal terms. She also uses here popularity for charity projects and supports the development of young, exceptionally talented musicians.

Anne-Sophie Mutter’s 2006 concert calendar is an ambitious homage to Mozart’s violin works, which she performs together with Lambert Orkis (piano). The recital tour will take the two musicians to Europe, the USA, Russia, China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Rounding out the tour repertoire are Mozart’s five violin concertos as well as his Sinfonia Concertante. Anne-Sophie Mutter will be performing these concerts together with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra and the Tivoli Symphony Orchestra and is also in charge of the musical direction.

In addition to the focus on Mozart’s major works, the program includes Beethoven’s violin concertos and Wolfgang Rihm’s "Time Chant", which she will perform with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, SWR Symphony Orchestra and Ensemble Intercontemporain. The orchestras will be directed by Kurt Masur, Sir André Previn and Pierre Boulez.

The honors afforded Anne-Sophie Mutter for her many recordings include the German Record Prize, the Record Academy Prize, the Grand Prix du Disque, the International Record Prize and several Grammies. At the 47th Grammy Awards in February 2005 she was honored for her recording of the André Previn’s violin concerto "Anne-Sophie" and received the award "Best Instrumental Soloist with Orchestra" for her recording of Bernstein’s Serenade. Sir André Previn also won a Grammy for his direction of recordings by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra.

In honor of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s 250th birthday Anne-Sophie Mutter will record all of the composer’s major works for violin. The three recordings will appear on the Deutsche Grammophon label. A recording of the violin concertos and the Sinfonia Concertante, performed together with violist Yuri Bashmet and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, was released in October 2005. The orchestra was directed by the violinist herself. The sonatas, performed together with Lambert Orkis, and a selection of four piano trios with Sir André Previn and Daniel Müller-Schott will follow in 2006.

The artist takes special pride in performing contemporary compositions for violin. Witold Lutoslawski, Norbert Moret, Krzysztof Penderecki, Wolfgang Rihm, Henri Dutilleux, Sebastian Currier and Sir André Previn have all dedicated works to her. A premiere performance of Sofia Gubaidulina’s violin concerto is scheduled in 2007.

In 1987 Anne-Sophie Mutter established the Rudolf Eberle Foundation, which supports young string-instrumentalists all over Europe. In the fall of 1997 the foundation was relocated to Munich where it coexists with the Friends of Anne Sophie Mutter Foundation, which supports young, talented musicians worldwide.

Anne-Sophie Mutter also takes a special interest in the medical and social problems of our time. She regularly lends her support to these causes through charitable concerts. For example, in 2006 she will perform for the Hanna and Paul Gräb Foundation, for the Israeli Cultural Community of Munich, which is building a Jewish Center, and for the SOS Children’s Village in Riga.

Anne-Sophie Mutter is a bearer of the Order of Merit of the German Federal Republic, 1st Class, the Bavarian Order of Merit and the Order of Merit of the State of Baden-Württemberg. In 2002 Anne-Sophie Mutter received the Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and the Arts as well as the Munich Cultural Award. In 2003 she was granted the title "Pro Meritis Scientiae Et Litterarum" by the Bavarian State Ministry for Science, Research and the Arts. In 2004 she received the Austrian Cross for Science and the Arts and was awarded the "Officier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres" by the French Minister of Culture.

On February 1st 2006 she received the award "Victoires de la Musique" in Strasbourg.

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