Anne-Sophie Mutter. [Photo provided to China Daily]
It was 1 o'clock on Sunday afternoon when Anne-Sophie Mutter warmly greeted everyone at a hotel room in Beijing.
"I can still remember that I visited Beijing in 1996 for the first time. I walked around the hutong (traditional alleyways) and saw many beautiful old buildings. The city has changed greatly and is still beautiful," she says.
Clad in a red velvet suit, the violinist was going to perform at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing that night, along with pianist Lambert Orkis.
The last time that she played at the NCPA was five years ago.
"I have performed with Lambert for 36 years. We have different personalities and when we work together, we put our egos aside and listen to each other," Mutter says.
"One of the best things about being a musician is that you meet and work with talented people and you create music together. Every concert is different, and I am a person who is very easily excited, which makes me enjoy every concert very much."
The violinist also gives credit to Beijing, where she was inspired to launch Friends of the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation in 1997 to support young, talented soloists.
She recalls when she made her first trip to Beijing, she was invited to give a master class to young Chinese soloists.
Anne-Sophie Mutter performs with pianist Lambert Orkis in Beijing on Sunday. [Photo provided to China Daily]
"I have experienced how necessary targeted support is, especially during my starting years. I want to do the same thing for young soloists, giving them support according to their individual needs," she says.
One of the first soloists who she offered support to was violinist Lu Wei, who later got the opportunity to study in Germany with Mutter.
"Before giving him musical training, I took him to see the forest, the mountain and many other places in Europe, helping him to get an idea about the places where classical music exists for a very long time," says Mutter. "It's important to know the culture, the people and the language before you interpret the music."
She also has launched a music ensemble by gathering those talented soloists from around the world to play chamber music and to introduce them to the life of a professional musician while simultaneously introducing them to a broad audience. Now the ensemble has about 25 soloists.
As a child prodigy, Mutter made her professional debut with conductor Herbert von Karajan, who became an early mentor, and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, when she was 13. Since then, she has sustained an exceptional career, appearing in all the major concert halls of Europe, North America, South America and Asia.
In December, Mutter rounded off the musical celebrations for her 60th birthday with a special concert with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
