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The French contralto and conductor, Nathalie Stutzmann, studied at the Nantes Conservatoire and then, from 1983 to 1987, at the Ecole Nationale in Paris with Michel Sénéchal and Lou Bruder. The extraordinary quality of her alto voice and her extensive musical training - which includes prizes in piano, chamber music, bassoon and natural singing - mean she is at home with the Baroque, the Classical and particularly the German ronantic repertoire as with the French pieces of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Nathalie Stutzmann made her concert debut in 1985 in J.S. Bach's Magnificat (BWV 243) at the Salle Pleyel in Paris and her recital debut at Nantes in 1986. Since than she has enjoyed a brilliant international career with equal success in the fields of opera, concert, recital and recording. Her dark-grained, expressive singing, with its true contralto depth and richness, has provoked wide admiration.
Nathalie Stutzmann quickly came to the attention of the internationally renowned conductors and consequently appeared on the most famous stages and concert halls. For example she has sung in Paris, Munich, in the Berlin Philharmonic, in the Liceo in Barcelona, Lisbon, Zürich, Moscow, Brussels, Amsterdam etc under Seiji Ozawa, Jordan, Rosenthal, Claudio Scimone, Enoch zu Guttenberg, Mstislav Rostropovich, Plasson and is soon to appear with Colin Davis and A. Lombard. She is celebrating great success everywhere as both an opera and concert singer, and is considered as one of the leading singing talents in France today.
In the 1991-1992 season Nathalie Stutzmann's performances included Pelleas et Melisande in Bonn, the Mozart Requiem under Enoch zu Guttenberg in Toulouse, Erda in Rheingold in Bordeaux, W.A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte at the Bastille Opera in Paris and in Bordeaux and L.v. Beethoven's Missa Solemnis in Munich under Sir Colin Davis. More outstanding productions in following seasons were, for example, Johannes Brahms' Alto Rhapsody as well as the Missa Solemnis by L.v. Beethoven with Sir Colin Davis.
Nathalie Stutzmann's numerous recordings have made her a familiar name to a broad public. She has made over 40 recordings, many of them for RCA Victor Red Seal, and has received many awards such as the Deutsche Schallplatten Kritik, Diapason d’Or, Japan Record Academy Award, and a Grammy Award. Her repertoire includes both French and German art song.
Nathalie Stutzmann is also an acclaimed voice teacher. Among her pupils and/or singers who have attended her master-classes: Jonas Descotte (Counter-tenor), Xavier de Lignerolles (Tenor), Gabriëlle Nijhuis (Mezzo-soprano/Contralto). |
