Nathalie Stutzmann

Born in Suresnes, Stutzmann first studied with her mother, soprano Christiane Stutzmann, then at Nancy Conservatoire and later at the École d'Art Lyrique of the Paris Opera, focusing on lied, under Hans Hotter's tutelage. She is noted for her interpretations of French mélodies and German lieder. Stutzmann also plays piano, bassoon and is a chamber musician. Stutzmann debuted as a concert singer at the Salle Pleyel, Paris, 1985, in Bach's Magnificat. Her recital debut was the following year in Nantes. In addition to her concert work, Stutzmann has taught at the Geneva University of Music. She began performing and recording with Swedish pianist Inger Södergren in 1994. She took part in the project of Ton Koopman and the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir to record Bach's complete vocal works.

Separately, Stutzmann developed an interest in conducting, where her mentors included Jorma Panula, Seiji Ozawa, and Simon Rattle.[1][2] In 2009, Stutzmann founded the chamber orchestra Orfeo 55,[3] with which she performed as both soloist and conductor.[4] She served as its artistic director until Orfeo 55 ceased operations in April 2019.[5]

In September 2017, Stutzmann became principal guest conductor of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra in Dublin, Ireland, with a contract for three years.[6][7] In 2018, she was appointed chief conductor of the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra,[8] the first female chief conductor in the orchestra's history. In December 2020, her Kristiansand contract was extended through 2023.[9] In December 2020, the Philadelphia Orchestra announced the appointment of Stutzmann as its next principal guest conductor, the first female conductor ever named to this Philadelphia post, effective with the 2021-2022 season, with a contract of 3 years.[10]

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.[11]

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.

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 are of Schumann Lieder, Chausson and Poulenc melodies, Mahler Symphony No. 2 with Seiji Ozawa, Vivaldi's Nisi Dominus and Schubert's Winterreise for Calliope, Michel lambert's Leçons de Ténèbres. Her awards for recordings include the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, Diapason d'Or, the Japan Record Academy Award, and a Grammy Award.

• 1987: 1st prize of Neue Stimmen[12]
• 2001: Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
• 2012: Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite[13][14]
• 2014: Officier of the Order of Cultural Merit (Monaco)[15][16]
• 2015: Officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres[17]
• 2019: Chevalier of the Legion of Honour[18][19]

• Official website of Nathalie Stutzmann
• Askonas Holt agency page on Nathalie Stutzmann
• Nathalie Stutzmann (Contralto) at Bach Cantatas Website
• Nathalie Stutzmann at Warner Classics