Anne-Sophie Mutter German violinist Date of Birth: 29.06.1963 Country: Germany

1. Anne-Sophie Mutter: A Biography
2. Early Life and Musical Journey
3. Recordings and Notable Performances
4. Personal Life and Awards

Anne-Sophie Mutter: A Biography

Anne-Sophie Mutter, a German violinist, is one of the most sought-after and highly paid violinists in the world today. Her career and development were greatly influenced by Herbert von Karajan.

Early Life and Musical Journey

Anne-Sophie Mutter first began playing the piano at the age of 5 before discovering the violin shortly thereafter. At the age of 13, Mutter was exempted from attending school when Karajan invited her to perform with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1977, she participated in the Salzburg Festival and also performed with the English Chamber Orchestra.

Recordings and Notable Performances

At the age of 15, Mutter made her first recordings, performing Mozart's concertos with Karajan and the Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1980, she performed with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and five years later, she was awarded an honorary fellowship by the Royal Academy of Music in London. As part of a North American tour in 1988, Mutter performed at Carnegie Hall.

Personal Life and Awards

In 1989, Mutter married Detlef Wunderlich, with whom she has two children, Arabella and Richard. Wunderlich passed away in 1995 from cancer. In 2002, she remarried, this time to pianist, conductor, and composer Andre Previn. However, the couple officially announced their divorce on August 21, 2006. In October of the same year, Mutter stated that she would retire from the stage at the age of 45 (in 2008), but a month later, she clarified that her words were misinterpreted and that she would continue playing as long as she felt the ability to bring something new, important, and different to music.

Throughout her career, Mutter has received numerous awards and honors, including the Academy Award in 1986, Grammy Awards in various categories, the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize in 2008, becoming the first woman to receive this prestigious award. Mutter owns two Stradivarius violins, The Emiliani (1703) and the Lord Dunn-Raven (1710), as well as a Regazzi violin.