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FCG Internacional Scenic Arts Award 2009: ANNE - SOPHIE MUTTER
“Due to her outstanding skill in performing the classics, especially Mozart, as a soloist as well as a member of Chamber groups. We further highlight her humanitarian work through which she has supported young talented artists through the foundation that bears her name as well as by carrying out numerous charity and solidarity concerts.”
According to the Jury for the FCG International Award for Performing Arts -in a meeting in Valladolid, Spain (June 15th, 2009)-chaired by: Mrs. Mercedes Cantalapiedra Álvarez, 3rd Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Culture, Trade and Tourism of the Valladolid City Council, and made up by the following members: Mr. Javier Angulo Barturen, Director of the Valladolid International Film Festival; Mr. José Luis Martín Alonso, Board Representative of ABC Newspaper in Castilla Leon; Mrs. Ana Rodríguez Manso, Representative of Europa Press Castilla Leon; Mr. Andrés Ruiz Tarazona, Technical Adviser for Arts of the Madrid City Council; Mr. Juan Vidal Doce, Director of Television Española Regional Centres.
ANNE - SOPHIE MUTTER - Biography
For three decades Anne-Sophie Mutter has been one of the greatest violin virtuosos of our time. Born in Rheinfelden (1963) 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 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 her popularity for charity projects and supports the development of young, exceptionally talented musicians.
Anne-Sophie Mutter's concert calendar for 2009 focuses on various musical aspects: she will be performing Gubaidulina's "In tempus praesens" for the first time in Germany, Spain and the USA. Anne-Sophie Mutter will premier André Previn's Concerto for Violin, Contrabass and Orchestra in Germany and Switzerland together with the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra. She will also perform Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto and works on a European tour together with the Oslo Philharmonic under the direction of Saraste, in Canada with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal under Frühbeck de Brugors, in San Francisco with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra led by Tilson Thomas and in New York with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Kurt Masur.
On the occasion of the 200th birthday of Felix Mendelssohn Anne-Sophie Mutter will treat her audiences to performances of the composer's Violin Concerto and chamber music. Together with Sir André Previn (piano) and Lynn Harrell (violoncello) she will be performing Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto No. 1 and Mozart's Piano Trio No. 4 in Germany, Turkey and the USA. These outstanding musicians will also premier André Previn's Second Trio in Carnegie Hall.
Yet another premier of a work by Sir André Previn will follow the celebration of 80th birthday of the composer, director and pianist in New York: his Concerto for Violin, Viola and Orchestra will be performed by Anne-Sophie Mutter together with Yuri Bashmet (viola) and the Orchestra of St. Luke's under the direction of André Previn himself.
Anne-Sophie Mutter will be taking a "sabbatical" during the second half of 2009 and will not return to the world concert stage until January 2010.
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. On the occasion of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's 250th birthday Anne-Sophie Mutter recorded all of Mozart's major compositions for violin on the Deutsche Grammophon label. These are available on both CD and DVD. She was awarded the "Le Monde de la Musique and "Record Geijutsu", both for the year 2006, for her Mozart Project.
The artist takes special pride in performing contemporary compositions for violin. Sebastian Currier, Henri Dutilleux, Sofia Gubaidulina, Witold Lutoslawski, Norbert Moret, Krzysztof Penderecki, Sir André Previn and Wolfgang Rihm have all dedicated works to her. Further premiere performances of the chamber orchestra works of Currier, Penderecki and Rihm are currently being planned.
Anne-Sophie Mutter's recording of Gubaidulina's Violin Concerto "In tempus praesens" together with the London Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Valéry Gergiew as well as her recording of Bach's Violin Concerto in A minor and E major performed together with the Trondheim Soloists under the direction of the violinist herself were released in September 2008 on the Deutsche Grammophon label.
To mark the Bicentenary of Mendelssohn's birth, Anne-Sophie Mutter ist honouring the composer with a very personal tribute combining symphonic music and chamber works on CD and DVD: The Violin Sonata in F major of 1838, the Piano Trio in D minor op. 49 that was composed in 1839 and the Violin Concerto in E minor of 1845.
Anne-Sophie Mutter will be accompanied by Sir André Previn and Lynn Harrell in performing the chamber works and by the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig under the direction of Kurt Masur in her performance of the Violin Concerto.
In 2008 the artist established the "Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation." The objective of the foundation is to further increase worldwide support for promising young musicians - a task which the violinist took on when she founded the "The Anne-Sophie Mutter Circle of Friends Foundation" in 1997.
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 2009 she will be performing for the Warsaw Beethoven Festival and her foundation.
Anne-Sophie Mutter received in 2008 the International Ernst von Siemens Music Prize as well as the Leipzig Mendelssohn Prize. She is a bearer of the Order of Merit of the German Federal Republic, 1st Class, the Bavarian Order of Merit, the Great Austrian Order of Merit for Service to the Republic of Austria, the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and has received many other awards.
More information: http://www.anne-sophie-mutter.de