Nathalie Stutzmann

Biography

Daughter of a baritone father and a soprano mother, Nathalie Stutzmann (born Nathalie Dupuy in Suresnes on May 6, 1965) grew up in an environment conducive to lyrical art. She studied piano and chamber music, obtaining a first prize at the conservatory in 1982, then became interested in playing the bassoon before turning to singing. First prize in singing at the Nancy Conservatory (1983), she continued her studies at the Ecole d'art lyrique de l'Opéra de Paris, in the class of Michel Sénéchal. It was during a private concert where she replaced Jessye Norman at short notice that the contralto was noticed and signed by the Erato label. Nathalie Stutzmann, who attended Hans Hotter's masterclasses from 1983 to 1987, made her debut at the Paris Opera in 1986 in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas and has made numerous stage appearances and recordings in the baroque repertoire, chamber music and symphonic music. Trained in conducting by Seiji Ozawa, with whom she performed Bach's St. Matthew Passion (1997) and Mahler's Symphony No. 2 (2002), Nathalie Stutzmann regularly collaborates with Marc Minkowski and Les Musiciens du Louvre and in 2009 founded her own ensemble Orfeo 55, dedicated to baroque music, on period or modern instruments. With this ensemble, she performed the recital devoted to Vivaldi Prima Donna (2011) and performs in concert and at festivals. After the publication the following year of the Cantate Imaginaire program devoted to Bach, followed Heroes from the Shadows (2014) and Quella Fiamma - Aire Antiche (2017). Invited to conduct numerous orchestras around the world, Nathalie Stutzmann was appointed principal guest conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra in 2020, shortly before the publication of the recital Contralto (2021).

Nathalie Stutzmann was born on May 6, 1965 into a family of musicians. Of a baritone father and a soprano mother, Nathalie Stutzmann first turned to the piano with which she won a first prize in 1982, and the bassoon. It was in the 1980s that she turned to singing. In 1983, she won the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition of Belgium. The same year, she won the 1st prize for singing and lyrical art at the Nancy Conservatory.

She took her first steps on stage by chance, replacing Jessye Norman at the last minute. Following this concert, she signed a contract with the Erato label. She also recorded for Calliope, Naïve, Hypérion, EMI and Sony. Nathalie Stutzmann is a discreet artist. Not very prominent because she is a contralto, Nathalie, by her temperament, is very reserved. On stage and on albums, however, she multiplies collaborations with the greatest conductors and musicians, from baroque to contemporary music. Note her collaborations with Laurence Equilbey's Ensemble Equilbey, William Christie's Arts Florissants, Jean-Christophe Spinosi's Ensemble Matheus, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris....

Her most notable collaboration remains that with the Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa. First for the recording of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2 and then for the relationship established between the two artists. Seiji Ozawa will teach conducting to Nathalie Stutzmann. The latter will conduct the Mito Chamber Orchestra several times.

In 2009, Natahlie Stutzmann created the Orfeo 55 ensemble, which she directs and with which she recorded Vivaldi Prima Donna on the Deutsche Grammophon label in 2011. She gives masterclasses on singing all over the world. Nathalie Stutzmann was elevated to the rank of Chevalier des arts et des lettres. The following year, the singer finalized the project of associating several chorales and instrumental pieces by Jean-Sébastien Bach to make a cantata that she called Cantate Imaginaire. This recording, released at the end of 2012, earned her critical acclaim and media attention.

Source: universalmusic.fr