Anne-Sophie Mutter
Anne-Sophie Mutter is widely regarded as one of the greatest violinists of the modern era. Her exceptional artistry is expressed through her tonal richness, unparalleled expressiveness, flawless technical virtuosity, and deep musicality. Born in Rheinfelden, Baden, she displayed signs of extraordinary talent at an early age. At five, she began playing the piano and soon received her first violin lessons from Erna Honigberger, a student of Carl Flesch. At the age of nine, she began studying with Aïda Stucki, an inspiring Swiss musician and teacher.
In 1976, at age 13, Anne-Sophie Mutter was heard by Herbert von Karajan at a recital during the Lucerne Festival. The legendary conductor invited her to make her debut with the Berlin Philharmonic at the Salzburg Whitsun Festival in 1977. Their partnership continued in 1978, when Mutter made her first recording for Deutsche Grammophon, featuring Mozart’s Violin Concertos Nos. 3 and 5. Mutter collaborated regularly with Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic, resulting in a series of landmark recordings of violin concertos by Beethoven, Brahms, Bruch, and Mendelssohn for the Yellow Label. Her debut performances in Berlin (1978), Washington and New York (1980), Tokyo (1981), and Moscow (1985) received widespread critical acclaim, and she soon became a regular presence in the world’s most prestigious concert halls.
In 1986, she was appointed to the international chair for violin studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London. The following year, she founded the Rudolf Eberle Foundation, which supported exceptionally talented young string players across Europe. Since 1997, when the foundation was integrated into the Friends of the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation, the organization has operated globally. The Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation itself was founded in 2008. Mutter’s commitment to supporting young musicians has contributed to the careers of many outstanding artists, including Daniel Müller-Schott, Sergey Khachatryan, Roman Patkoló, Leonard Elschenbroich, and Kian Soltani.
In 2011, the violinist founded “Mutter’s Virtuosi,” an ensemble of current and former scholarship holders of the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation along with selected other young musicians. The foundation commissioned works such as André Previn’s Concerto for Violin and Double Bass and his Nonet for Two String Quartets and Double Bass; Krzysztof Penderecki’s Duo concertante; Wolfgang Rihm’s Dyade; and Sebastian Currier’s Ringtone Variations.
Anne-Sophie Mutter has long used her public image to support charitable causes, particularly those addressing medical and social issues. Her benefit concerts have raised funds for organizations including Save the Children Japan and Yemen, the Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Society, victims of the 2011 tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan, the House of Diakonie in Wehr-Öflingen (Hanna and Paul Gräb Foundation), Artists Against Aids (USA), the Bruno Bloch Foundation, the London-based Beethoven Fund for Deaf Children, SOS Children’s Villages in Syria, the Leipzig Refugee Council, and the “Healing Arts Program” at the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center (Omaha).