Nathalie Stutzmann
Stutzmann in 2018
Born
Nathalie Dupuy

(1965-05-06) 6 May 1965
Suresnes, Hauts-de-Seine, France
Occupations
  • Opera singer
  • recitalist
  • conductor
  • academic teacher
Years active1985–present
Websitenathaliestutzmann.com

Nathalie Stutzmann (née Dupuy; born 6 May 1965) is a French contralto and, in her later career, conductor.

Life and career

Early life

Stutzmann was born in Suresnes, France, to musical parents. Her mother was soprano Christiane Stutzmann, and her father was bass Christian Dupuy.[1] She first studied with her mother, then at the Nancy Conservatoire and later at the École d'Art Lyrique of the Paris Opera, focusing on lieder, under Hans Hotter's tutelage. Stutzmann also plays piano, bassoon and is a chamber musician.

Singing career

Stutzmann debuted as a concert singer at the Salle Pleyel, Paris, 1985, in Bach's Magnificat. She is noted for her interpretations of French mélodies and German lieder. Her recital debut was the following year in Nantes. She began performing and recording with pianist Inger Södergren in 1994.[2] She also took part in the project of Ton Koopman and the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir to record Bach's complete vocal works. In addition to her concert work, Stutzmann has taught at the Geneva University of Music.[3]

Stutzmann made her American singing debut in 1995 at Lincoln Center in New York and her Carnegie Hall debut two years later.[1]

Conducting career

Stutzmann also developed an interest in conducting, which she decided to pursue in the early 2000s. Her mentors in this field have included Jorma Panula, Seiji Ozawa, and Simon Rattle.[1][4][5]

In 2009, Stutzmann founded the chamber orchestra Orfeo 55,[6] with which she has performed as both soloist and conductor.[7] She served as its artistic director until Orfeo 55 ceased operations in April 2019.[8][1]

In September 2017, Stutzmann became principal guest conductor of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra in Dublin, Ireland, with a contract for three years.[9][10] In 2018, she was appointed chief conductor of the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, in Kristiansand, Norway,[11] the first female chief conductor in the orchestra's history. In December 2020, her Kristiansand contract was extended through 2023.[12] She concluded her Kristiansand tenure at the close of the 2022-2023 season.

In the USA, the Philadelphia Orchestra announced the appointment of Stutzmann as its next principal guest conductor in December 2020, the first female conductor ever named to this Philadelphia post, effective with the 2021–2022 season, with a contract of 3 years.[13]

Separately, in December 2020, Stutzmann was guest conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. She returned in February 2021 for an additional engagement, in a streamed quarantine concert.[14] In October 2021, the orchestra announced the appointment of Stutzmann as its next music director, effective with the 2022–2023 season, with an initial contract of four years. Stutzmann is the first female conductor to be named music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.[15]

In May 2023, Stutzmann made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera of New York, conducting Mozart's Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute.[1]

In July 2023, to great acclaim, she made her Bayreuth Festival conducting debut, only the second woman in the festival's 150 year history, with Wagner's Tannhäuser. Shortly after, it was announced that she would be returning for the 2024 season.

Quotes

Il y a deux types d’artistes: ceux qui s’attachent toute leur vie à montrer à quel point ce qu’ils sont en train de faire est difficile – ils ont leur public –, puis il y a ceux qui passent leur vie à essayer de faire croire que ce n’est pas du tout difficile, catégorie à laquelle j’appartiens. C’est sans doute aussi une forme de folie. C’est moins spectaculaire, peut-être, mais je préfère que le public puisse aller à l’essentiel. Je ne veux pas qu’il s’arrête à la performance, tout en la remarquant, mais qu’il puisse s’abandonner d’abord à la beauté de la musique.[16]
There are two types of artists: those that strive their whole life to show how much what they're doing is difficult – they [do] have their audience –, then there are those who spend their life trying to make people believe it is not at all difficult, which is the category I belong to. That is also probably a form of madness. It is less spectacular, perhaps, but I prefer that the audience be able to go to what is essential [in the music]. I do not want them to stop at [being impressed with] the performance, even though they might notice it, but that they be able to abandon themselves to the beauty of the music.

Recordings

Stutzmann has recorded commercially for such labels as EMI, Erato, Deutsche Grammophon, Harmonia Mundi, Philips, RCA, Sony Classical, and Virgin. Some of her most admired recordings as a singer are of Schumann Lieder, Chausson and Poulenc melodies, Mahler Symphony No. 2 with Seiji Ozawa, Vivaldi's Nisi Dominus (Psalm 127) and Schubert's Winterreise for Calliope, Michel Lambert's Leçons de ténèbres.

Her awards for vocal recordings include the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, Diapason d'Or,[17] and the Japan Record Academy Award. She earned a Grammy nomination for her recording of Debussy's Le Martyre de saint Sébastien.[17]

Awards and honours

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Blum, Ronald (4 May 2023). "Nathalie Stutzmann, contralto now conductor, to debut at Met". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  2. ↑ "Inger Sodergren (Piano) – Short Biography". www.bach-cantatas.com. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  3. ↑ "Nathalie Stutzmann". 100 Women and Thousands More. University of Geneva. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  4. ↑ Judith Chaine (26 October 2017). "Nathalie Stutzmann, 'Seiji Ozawa m'a donné ma première chance' (4/5)" (in French). France Musique. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  5. ↑ Peter Dobrin (19 December 2020). "New Philadelphia Orchestra conductor Nathalie Stutzmann says it's a good time for women on the podium. And yet..." The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  6. ↑ "Nathalie Stutzmann : une voix en or" [Nathalie Stutzmann: a golden voice]. La Dépêche du Midi (in French). Gramat. 14 October 2009.
  7. ↑ Ashley, Tim (13 November 2014). "Handel: Heroes from the Shadows CD review – a force to be reckoned with". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  8. ↑ "L'orchestre Orfeo 55 cesse ses activités" [The Orfeo 55 orchestra ceases its activities]. France Musique. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2020. The announcement was made on social networks during the morning of Wednesday April 24, 2019. The reasons mentioned: the financial situation of the orchestra as well as the lack of available time of its musical director Nathalie Stutzmann.
  9. ↑ "Irish broadcasting orchestra gets new conductor". European Broadcasting Union. 14 February 2017.
  10. ↑ "Our Story". orchestras.rte.ie. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  11. ↑ "Nathalie Stutzmann announced as Chief Conductor of Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra". Askonas Holt. 14 November 2017.
  12. ↑ "Nathalie Stutzmann extends in Kristiansand" (Press release). Askonas Holt. 15 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  13. ↑ "Yannick Nézet-Séguin and The Philadelphia Orchestra Connect with Audiences Worldwide through New Digital Stage Performances January–June 2021" (Press release). Philadelphia Orchestra. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  14. ↑ Jordan Owen (19 February 2021). "Review: Nathalie Stutzmann returns to guest conduct the Atlanta Symphony". ArtsATL. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  15. ↑ "Nathalie Stutzmann Is Named Fifth Music Director of Atlanta Symphony Orchestra" (PDF) (Press release). Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  16. ↑ "Nathalie Stutzmann : « Je ne fouille pas les manuscrits, je fouille les âmes »" [Nathalie Stutzmann: "I do not search the manuscripts, I search the souls"]. Forumopera.com (Interview) (in French). Interviewed by Bernard Schreuders (published 4 February 2010). 29 January 2010.
  17. 1 2 "Nathalie Stutzmann | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  18. ↑ "Chronik : Neue Stimmen 1987–2017" (in German). Bertelsmann Stiftung. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  19. ↑ "Biography | Nathalie Stutzmann, conductor and contralto". nathaliestutzmann.com.
  20. ↑ "Nathalie Stutzmann". Kennedy Center.
  21. ↑ "Décret du 2 mai 2012 portant promotion et nomination". Légifrance (Press release) (in French). 3 May 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  22. ↑ Filippetti, Aurélie (13 December 2012). Discours prononcé à l'occasion de la cérémonie de remise des insignes de Chevalier de l'ordre national du Mérite à Nathalie Stutzmann (Speech) (in French). Retrieved 25 May 2019 – via Ministère de la Culture.
  23. ↑ "Ordonnance Souveraine n° 5.048 du 18 novembre 2014 portant promotions ou nominations dans l'Ordre du Mérite Culturel". Journal de Monaco (in French). 21 November 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  24. ↑ "S.A.R. la Princesse de Hanovre remet la médaille de l'Ordre du Mérite Culturel à Madame Nathalie Stutzmann" [HRH the Princess of Hanover presents the medal of the Order of Cultural Merit to Mrs. Nathalie Stutzmann]. Monaco Channel (in French). 11 November 2015.
  25. ↑ "Nomination dans l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres janvier 2015". Ministère de la Culture (in French). 7 April 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  26. ↑ "Légion d'honneur : les personnalités lorraines, alsaciennes et champenoises décorées". L'Est Républicain (in French). 1 January 2019.
  27. ↑ "Deux chefs d'orchestre élevés au grade de chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur en 2019" (in French). France Musique. 2 January 2019.
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