Anne-Sophie Mutter
A violinist of fierce intensity and technical command, who has pushed classical music forward from the Karajan era to collaborations with living composers.
Born 1963 (age 63)·German violinist·Birthday: June 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Anne-Sophie Mutter debuted with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1977 at age fourteen, spotted by Herbert von Karajan. She matured into a formidable and intellectually curious violinist, building a career on a distinctive sound—lush, focused, and capable of razor-sharp articulation. She tackled the core Germanic repertoire of Beethoven and Brahms with profound maturity. Her true impact lies in dedicated new music work. She has commissioned and premiered over two dozen works from composers like Witold Lutosławski, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Sofia Gubaidulina, wearing their fiendishly difficult pieces as second skin. On stage, she wears striking, sleeveless gowns and commits physically to the music. For Mutter, the violin is a vehicle for urgent, contemporary conversation.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Anne-Sophie was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Anne-Sophie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Anne-Sophie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Has premiered numerous contemporary violin concertos dedicated to her by composers including Sebastian Currier, Henri Dutilleux, and André Previn.
- A multiple Grammy Award winner, with recordings spanning from Vivaldi to John Williams.
- Founded the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation, which supports young string players and commissions new works.
- Awarded Germany's Order of Merit and the French Legion of Honour for her cultural contributions.
Did You Know?
She performed at the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981.
Many of her signature sleeveless concert dresses are designed by haute couture fashion house Chanel.
She is married to renowned conductor and composer André Previn from 2002 until his death in 2019.
She owns two Stradivarius violins, the 'Lord Dunn-Raven' from 1710 and the 'Emiliani' from 1703.
“Music is the language of passion, of reason, of pure emotion. It is the language of the soul.”
