Nathalie Stutzmann
Contralto
Charisma, exuberant musicality and imagination characterise the performances of Nathalie Stutzmann, who, as one of the most renowned contralto singers of our time, is one of the outstanding musical personalities today – as well as a conductor. She made her debut as a soloist with the Berliner Philharmoniker in September 2007, in Debussy’s mystery play Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien. The conductor was Sir Simon Rattle, who said of orchestra leader Stutzmann: “So much love, intensity and pure technique. We need more conductors like her.”
Nathalie Stutzmann was born in Paris and began training as a singer with her mother. She later studied lieder under Michel Sénéchal at the École d’Art Lyrique de l’Opéra de Paris and later under Hans Hotter. The contralto, who also studied piano, bassoon, cello and conducting – the latter under Jorma Panula as well as Seiji Ozawa and Sir Simon Rattle – has a broad repertoire ranging from Baroque to 20th century works. As a singer, she has been involved in more than 80 recordings, many of which have won top awards. Nathalie Stutzmann has worked as a guest conductor with the Valencia Orchestra, the Orchestre National de Lyon, the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, among others. From 2017 to 2020, she was principal guest conductor of the RTE National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, and since the 2020/21 season she has been the new principal guest conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra as well as principal conductor of the Kristiansand Symfoniorkester in Norway. The French government has appointed her Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur and Commandeur dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
