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.
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.
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.”
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/
“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.
Today, Nathalie Stutzmann has been announced as new Chief Conductor of the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, one of Norway’s foremost orchestras with roots back to 1919, from the beginning of the 2018/2019 season for an initial contract of three years. Nathalie conducted Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra for the first time in March 2017 in Strauss’ Tod und Verklarung and Schumann’s Symphony No. 3.
Nathalie comments: “I am so thrilled to become the new Chief Conductor of the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra. From the first rehearsal – when we started to play Strauss – I was so amazed by the quality of the musicians. They were so involved in the music and the working process was amazing. I’m also looking forward to developing new ideas with the orchestra, with the musicians, with the board, and to have the KSO more involved in the city life. I truly believe that the symphonic orchestra has an important part to play in the lives of the citizens of the city. It should be so much fun for the people to come to our concerts and discover how much we want to share our passion for this music. I can’t wait to see you all and share the music together.”