Anne-Sophie Mutter life and biography

Anne-Sophie Mutter is a German violinist. Supported early in her career by Herbert von Karajan, she has built a strong reputation for championing contemporary music with several works being composed specially for her including by Henri Dutilleux, Krzysztof Penderecki, Witold Lutosławski, Wolfgang Rihm and Sofia Gubaidulina.

Anne-Sophie Mutter's trademark qualities were described by Anthony Tommasini in the New York Times as, "rich yet focused (in) tone, striking varieties of sound, articulate yet supple rhythmic play.... Her increasing work in recent years with living composers has brought a new kind of intellectual energy to her playing."

Mutter performed magnificently throughout a "Beethoven: Face to Face" world tour in 1998, performing and simultaneously recording for Deutsche Grammophon all ten of Beethoven's violin sonatas. Mutter is lauded for her imaginative and accomplished playing, but she is also noted for her sophisticated beauty.

Tommasini wrote, "Special lighting onstage drew attention to Ms. Mutter's glamour. In her sleek, shoulderless gown, with her auburn hair pulled back, she could have turned heads on Oscar night. But, as usual, it took just a few phrases for Ms. Mutter to establish that she is a thoughtful, dedicated artist." James R. Oestreich wrote in the New York Times, "The more Ms. Mutter trades on a glamorous image, it seems, the more surely she is recognized for her essential seriousness as an artist and a person."

Awards and recognition:

Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance:
-Anne-Sophie Mutter and Lambert Orkis for Beethoven: The Violin Sonatas (Nos. 1-3, Op. 12; Nos. 1-3, Op. 30; "Spring" Sonata) (2000)

Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra):
-Anne-Sophie Mutter and André Previn (conductor) for Previn: Violin Concerto "Anne-Sophie"/Bernstein: Serenade (2005)
-Anne-Sophie Mutter, Krzysztof Penderecki (conductor) and the London Symphony Orchestra for Penderecki: Violin Concerto No. 2, Metamorphosen (1999)
-Anne-Sophie Mutter, James Levine (conductor) and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Berg: Violin Concerto/Rihm: Time Chant (1994)

-Sonning Award (2001; Denmark)
-Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, First Class
-Herbert von Karajan Music Prize (2003)
-Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2005)
-Victoires de la Musique Classique (2006)
-Ernst von Siemens Music Prize (2008)
-Doctor Honoris Causa from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (2010)
-Gustav-Adolf Prize (2011)

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