Nathalie Stutzmann next Music Director of Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Nathalie Stutzmann will become Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Fifth Music Director from the 2022-2023 season. She will be the first woman to serve as the ASO’s music director and only the second woman to lead a major American orchestra, following in the footsteps of Marin Alsop. As the fifth Music Director in the ASO’s history, Stutzmann follows Henry Sopkin, Robert Shaw, Yoel Levi and Robert Spano.

“It is a privilege to be named Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The devoted commitment to music of the ASO musicians touches my heart. They have beautiful open minds, and they love to work hard, to be challenged and to take the necessary risks to serve the music and bring the highest levels of emotion to their audience. There is a special chemistry between the orchestra and me that we all immediately recognized, and this is the perfect time for us to deepen our relationship. After doing such wonderful work with Robert Spano over the past 20 years, the orchestra is in top shape, and I look forward to working with this incredible ensemble to chart new artistic territory. As a singer, I am also thrilled about the prospect of working with the ASO Chorus, which is one of America’s finest choirs. We are planning several ambitious projects, including performances of Mozart’s Requiem in March 2022 and of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, a life-changing experience for any orchestra, during the 2022-23 season. It is also very important for us to connect with the Atlanta community, sharing our infectious love of music. Fulfilling the community’s hopes and expectations is a huge responsibility and a legacy that I am honored to continue.”

New album: Contralto – released on January 15, 2021

In her new album, Nathalie Stutzmann shines a light on the deep-voiced female singers of the Baroque era, often overshadowed by the extravagant talents and reputations of castrato singers like Farinelli and Caffarelli. Her programme of Handel, Vivaldi, Porpora, Bononcini, Caldara and Gasparini displays the variety of operatic roles – both female and male – assumed by contraltos like Vittoria Tesi and Anna Marchesini.

“We must remember that the opera composers of the early 18th century saw the female contralto and the male castrato as vocally interchangeable,” says Stutzmann, “and that the voice most closely resembling a castrato is not the countertenor – produced using a falsetto technique – but the contralto, which is a natural voice.”

Stutzmann both sings and conducts Orfeo 55.

Order the album here: https://w.lnk.to/nscFA

 

Nathalie Stutzmann Contralto

 

Nathalie Stutzmann extends her contract with Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra until 2023

Nathalie Stutzmann, Chief Conductor of the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra since 2018, has extended her contract to the end of the 2022-2023 season. The conductor and orchestra have decided to continue their successful partnership for another two years beyond the current contract.

“This is the best Christmas present possible both for our audience and the orchestra. Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra has taken big steps together with Nathalie in the first period, and the fact that she is now extending her engagement means that she sees the potential we have together. That is a huge thing for us”, says Geir Rebbestad, director of KSO.

Nathalie Stutzmann is also delighted about the extension. “This is my Norwegian family. The orchestra is young and very willing to learn, and I am looking forward to spending more time with the musicians. This gives us the possibility of long-term thinking, and that is a big advantage when you have ambitions with an orchestra”, she states.

Nathalie Stutzmann appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra

The Philadelphia Orchestra announced today the appointment of Nathalie Stutzmann as its new Principal Guest Conductor. She takes up the new position in Philadelphia for three years commencing September 2021.

“It is my great pleasure to welcome Nathalie Stutzmann to the Philadelphia Orchestra family,” said Yannick Nezet-Seguin. “Nathalie is a kindred spirit whose background as a contralto and work as an opera conductor have influenced her dynamic and highly successful career. She brings a depth of artistry, charismatic musicianship, and creativity to her work, making her an ideal collaborator. I look forward to watching her connection with the musicians of the Orchestra grow even deeper in the coming years and to experiencing her contributions to our artistic vision.”

“We are delighted to expand our relationship with Nathalie Stutzmann through this important appointment,” said President and CEO Matias Tarnopolsky. “Anyone who has experienced her performances with the Orchestra knows that we have an exciting three years ahead. We look forward to an ever deeper exploration of her singular artistry and inspiring musicianship here at home, on the Digital Stage, in our communities, and beyond.”

“It is a privilege and an honor to become the principal guest conductor of the iconic Philadelphia Orchestra—outstanding music-making, heartfelt playing, and emotional moments inhabit my soul every time I think about those marvelous musicians,” said Stutzmann. “I have always felt close to Yannick Nézet-Séguin and I am thrilled that through this new role I have the opportunity to work under the same roof. The teamwork off stage is just as important to the success of a partnership with an orchestra as what happens on stage, and I am also very much looking forward to the teamwork with Matías Tarnopolsky, Vice President of Artistic Planning Jeremy Rothman, and the whole management team. In these deeply uncertain and stressful times of pandemic, the strength of our partnerships is more important than ever, and it is so exciting to embark on this next stage of our relationship as we navigate these tricky times together. I look forward to spending more time in Philadelphia with my new American family, and we cannot wait to share more wonderful music with you.”

Photo: Jeff Fusco

2019/20 Artist-in-Residence with the Rotterdam Philharmonic

The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra welcomes Nathalie Stutzmann as its 2019/20 Artist-in-Residence. The residency will showcase Nathalie’s multi-faced musicianship with projects as both conductor and contralto. She will perform a wide range of repertoire including Schumann, Strauss, Mozart and Bach.

Conducting debut at the BBC Proms in a Brahms, Wagner and Mozart programme

On August 7 2019, Nathalie Stutzmann makes her conducting debut at the BBC Proms, leading Brahms’ Tragic Overture, Wagner’s Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde and Mozart’s Requiem. The performance, hosted at London’s Royal Albert Hall, will be live broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and broadcast on BBC Four August 11.

Nathalie Stutzmann appointed to the Légion d’Honneur

The Légion d’Honneur is France’s highest honours, established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte.

Nathalie Stutzmann comments on her Facebook page:
“I am deeply happy and touched to have been appointed to the Légion d’Honneur this January 1, 2019.
As the Légion d’Honneur is France’s highest honours, I am particularly proud to be admitted as a conductor and singer in this order of merit founded more than two centuries ago.
This distinction is also an encouragement to always serve music with passion and share it with the greatest number.”

Jury member of the 4th Svetlanov International Conducting Competition in Paris

September 4-8, Nathalie Stutzmann will be member of the jury of the 4th Evgeny Svetlanov International Conducting Competition taking place at Paris Auditorium de Radio-France, with the Orchestre philharmonique de Radio-France. She will reunite on this occasion with her legendary conducting teacher Jorma Panula, also in the jury, alongside Alexander Vedernikov, Andrey Boreyko, Mauro Bucarelli, Gidon Kremer and Cristina Rocca. Each round of the competition will be live broadcast by France Musique and medici.tv, and the final round open to the public. Winners of past competitions include Domingo Hindoyan and Robert Trevino.

For more information, please visit https://www.svetlanov-evgeny.com/en/

Critically acclaimed performances of Mefistofele at the Chorégies d’Orange

“Le véritable maître de la soirée n’est autre que Nathalie Stutzmann, à la tête d’un Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France littéralement emporté par l’engagement de sa direction fougueuse et précise, sensible et contrastée. La contralto (qui chante toujours) devenue chef d’orchestre avec la création de son ensemble, Orfeo 55, possède en outre une belle gestuelle alliant souplesse, puissance et amplitude. Sans aucun doute le meilleur atout de cette soirée qui a porté le public au bord de l’ovation, confortant Jean-Louis Grinda dans le bien-fondé de son défi.”

“The real “master” of the evening is none other than Nathalie Stutzmann, at the head of a Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra literally carried away by the engagement of her spirited, precise, sensitive and contrasting direction. The contralto (she still sings) who became a conductor with the creation of her orchestra Orfeo 55, also has a beautiful gesture combining flexibility, power and amplitude. Undoubtedly the best asset of this evening which brought the audience to the brink of ovation, reinforcing Jean-Louis Grinda in the legitimacy of his challenge.”

Marie-Aude Roux, Le Monde

 

“La révélation de la soirée est pour nous sans conteste la direction de Nathalie Stutzmann, que nous voyions diriger pour la première fois. (…) la chef a tout pour elle : une technique appréciable dans une oeuvre où il faut coordonner un orchestre wagnérien, des choeurs considérables et des fanfares de coulisse, une gestuelle fluide et souple, un véritable lyrisme.”

“The revelation of the evening is without any doubt the direction of Nathalie Stutzmann, whom we saw conducting for the first time. (…) the conductor has it all: an appreciable technique in a work where it is necessary to coordinate a Wagnerian orchestra, considerable choirs and fanfares behind the scenes, a fluid and flexible gesture, a true lyricism.”

Christian Merlin, Le Figaro

 

See the full press review of Mefistofele at this link.