Viktoria Mullova | Violin

“[Viktoria] Mullova may be the most elegant,
refined and sweetly expressive violinist on the planet.”

The Chicago Tribune, August 2005

Viktoria Mullova is an internationally acclaimed artist who studied at the Central Music School of Moscow and at the Moscow Conservatoire. Her extraordinary talent captured international attention when she won first prize at the 1980 Sibelius Competition in Helsinki and the Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1982. Since then, she has appeared with most of the world’s greatest orchestras and conductors and at the major international festivals. Viktoria either plays on her ‘Jules Falk’ 1723 Stradivarius or her Guadagnini violin.

A passion for the Baroque repertoire and a period approach to playing sees Mullova increasingly using gut strings with authentic instruments.  Since 2000 she has performed and toured the world with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Il Giardino Armonico and Venice Baroque.  She has a close partnership with Ottavio Dantone  (harpsichord) with whom she toured Europe.  Their recording of Bach sonatas was released in May 2007 on ONYX Classics and won the coveted Diapason D’Or of the year award for 2007. “To hear Mullova play Bach is, simply, one of the greatest things you can experience…” Tim Ashley, The Guardian.

Mullova’s ventures into creative contemporary music, which started in 2000 with her album “Through the Looking Glass” (with the renowned British jazz pianist Julian Joseph – “…Mullova and friends transcended their contrasting musical origins and fused into something genuinely new and beguiling.” – Richard Morrison, The Times), continues with specially commissioned works from young composers such as Dave Maric (premiered with Katia Labèque at the 2002 City of London Festival and on tour throughout Europe) and Fraser Trainer (premiered with the experimental ensemble Between the Notes at the 2003 City of London Festival). She continues to develop these relationships and premiered a new work for the BBC Proms in July 2005 by Fraser Trainer.

As a recitalist, Mullova performs regularly with Katia Labèque all over the world.  Their recording, “Recital” was released on ONYX in autumn 2006.

Mullova’s discography for Philips Classics has attracted many prestigious awards. In 2005 she once again explored new territories teaming up with ONYX Classics label to present a series of new recordings. The debut disc, Vivaldi Concertos with Il Giardino Armonico and directed by Giovanni Antonini, won the Diapason D’Or of the year award for 2005.   She has also recorded two discs with the Mullova Ensemble (Bach Concertos and the Schubert Octet).

In 2008-9, Viktoria started a new collaboration with fortepianist Kristian Bezuidenhout including a residency at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, and later, in a trio with cellist Pieter Wispelwey.  On the recording front, her first complete solo Bach recording will appear on ONYX

For upcoming concert dates, see links below:
www.viktoriamullova.com
www.askonasholt.co.uk