Anne-Sophie Mutter is a renowned German violinist born on June 29, 1963. She was fortunate to receive early support from the esteemed conductor Herbert von Karajan, which played a significant role in her career's trajectory.
As a strong advocate for contemporary music, Mutter has had several works composed specifically for her by prominent composers such as Sebastian Currier, Henri Dutilleux, Sofia Gubaidulina, Witold Lutosławski, Norbert Moret, Krzysztof Penderecki, André Previn, Wolfgang Rihm, John Williams, and others. Since her orchestral debut with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1977, Mutter has performed as a prominent soloist with numerous leading orchestras worldwide.
Mutter was born in Rheinfelden, Baden-Württemberg, a German town situated on the northern bank of the High Rhine river, near the Swiss town of Basel. Her parents, Karl Wilhelm Mutter and Gerlinde Mutter, raised her with two older brothers. Although no one in her family played a musical instrument, Mutter's family was passionate about classical music.
Mutter began playing the piano at the age of five and took up the violin shortly afterwards. At the age of six, she won the National Music Prize, and in 1972, she gave her first concert with the Winterthurer Stadtorchester. Inspired by a recording of violinist Yehudi Menuhin and Wilhelm Furtwängler, she began studying with Erna Honigberger, a pupil of Carl Flesch. After Honigberger's death, she continued her studies with Aida Stucki at the Winterthur Conservatory.
Mutter's exceptional playing skills earned her recognition, and she stopped attending school to focus on her music career. Conductor Herbert von Karajan arranged for her to perform with the Berlin Philharmonic. At the age of 13, she made her public debut on stage in 1976 at the Lucerne Festival, where she played Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major. In 1977, she performed at the Salzburg Festival and with the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim. Critics praised her performance, stating that it was not like that of a child prodigy, but rather showed a mature technique.
At the age of 15, Mutter made her first recording of the Mozart Third and Fifth violin concerti with Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic. She continued to perform with leading orchestras, making her American debut with the New York Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta in 1980. In 1985, she was made an honorary fellow of the Royal Academy of Music (London) and head of its faculty of international violin studies, and in 1986, an honorary member.
In 1988, Mutter embarked on a grand tour of Canada and the United States, playing for the first time at Carnegie Hall. In 1998, she recorded and performed the complete set of Beethoven's Violin Sonatas, accompanied by Lambert Orkis, which were broadcast on television in many countries.
