One of the biggest and brightest names in classical music worldwide, Anne-Zophie Mutter, will perform a unique concert at Herodeion on June 12 as part of the Athens and Epidaurus Festival.

The appearance of the most famous German violinist with a legendary career of more than 40 years and four Grammy awards is expected to be a reference point for this year’s festival summer.

In fact, Anne-Zophie Mutter will be on the stage of the Roman conservatory throughout the evening playing three concerts – a rare phenomenon for a soloist of this size – while she will also conduct Mutter’s Virtuosi, a string ensemble made up of scholarship holders of her foundation as well as other elite young musicians .

Mutter’s shining path

Leading musician, mentor and visionary, Anne-Zophie Mutter has been described as a ‘phenomenon’ and ‘the undisputed queen of the violin’. Her artistic career began at the age of 5. Mutter was quickly labeled a child prodigy and managed to stand out with the support of the famous conductor Herbert von Karajan. Her love for music and her unparalleled virtuosity on the violin quickly earned her the recognition of her fellow artists as well as the public.

She has appeared in all the major halls of the world and alongside her concerts she has made numerous recordings, the first of which was in 1978 of a Mozart concerto accompanied by the legendary Berlin Philharmonic. Some of the most important contemporary musicians, including André Prevain and John Williams, have composed more than 30 works especially for Anne-Zophie Mutter, who herself has presented them in world premieres.

Mutter’s multifaceted work

Anne-Zophie Mutter has for decades left her own mark in music, but at the same time she has been recognized internationally for her overall contribution to the arts, culture and issues of social interest. By organizing concerts, Mutter has contributed to the collection of large sums of money for charitable purposes, especially for the fight against the serious diseases of the modern age.

Also, the German violinist, beyond her personal path in music, perceives as part of her work the transmission of her own vision to the younger generations. One of her most important contributions to the art is the establishment in 2008 of the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation, which grants scholarships to talented young string soloists to develop their studies to a high level. Most of the musicians from Mutter’s Virtuosos, who have accompanied her in her concerts since 2011, come from the foundation.

What will we hear in Herodion?

At the Herodion, Anne-Zophie Mutter will play solo in three concertos by Bach, Vivaldi and Joseph Boulogne de Saint-Georges – the first European composer of African descent, who bore the nickname “Knight of St. George”. Boulogne, who was the son of a French landowner and a black Senegalese slave, distinguished himself for his skill on the violin as well as swordsmanship and became known as the “Voltaire of Music”.

Anne-Zophie Mutter will also perform the Nonetto dedicated to her (chamber music work for nine instruments) by André Previn, who was her partner, which will be presented for the first time in Greece.