In her own foundation, Anne-Sophie Mutter has been actively and passionately engaged for many years in the promotion young, talented artists: scholarship holders include cellists Kian Soltani, Pablo Ferrández, and Maximilian Hornung, as well as violinist Mohamed Hiber, all of whom have enriched our concerts by performing with Anne-Sophie Mutter at the Ruhr Piano Festival.

She has always had an open ear and an open heart for the music of our times: thus, we are grateful to her for a number of German or European premières, including the German première of André Previn’s Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in 2009, and the 2014 European première of Previn’s 2nd Violin Sonata, a work commissioned by Anne-Sophie Mutter and by the Festival. That same year, she also gave the European première of Krzysztof Penderecki’s “La Follia” for solo violin.

In view of all these unique, wonderful musical moments we have experienced thanks to her ebullient musicianship and her violin sound of unparalleled beauty – last not least, in view of her faithful commitment to the Ruhr Piano Festival, for her friendship – we wish to thank Anne-Sophie Mutter on 2 June 2023 by awarding her this year’s Ruhr Piano Festival Prize, the last one that will be presented by Director Franz Xaver Ohnesorg.