Viktoria Mullova
Encyclopedia
Viktoria Yurievna Mullova (born 27 November 1959) is a Russian violin
ist. She is best known for her performances and recordings of a number of violin concerti, compositions by J.S. Bach
, and her innovative interpretations of popular and jazz compositions by Miles Davis
, Duke Ellington
, The Beatles
, and others.
, in Soviet Russia
. After studying at the Central Music School of Moscow and at the Moscow Conservatoire under Leonid Kogan, she won first prize at the 1980 International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition
in Helsinki
and the Gold Medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition
in 1982. During a tour of Finland
in 1983, Mullova and her lover, Vakhtang Jordania
, who posed as her accompanist so they could defect together, left the hotel in Kuusamo
, after Jordania told the KGB officer who was watching them that Mullova was too sick from drinking to attend the afterparty
. The Stradivari violin
owned by the Soviet Union was left behind on the hotel bed. A Finnish Broadcasting Company journalist, accompanied by a photographer, drove them in a rented car across the border to Luleå
, Sweden
, and they travelled further to Stockholm
. In Sweden, they applied for political asylum. At that time, the Swedish police treated the young, on-the-run musicians just like any other political defectors from the Eastern Bloc: they suggested that the couple stay in a hotel over the weekend until the American
embassy opened. So for two days they sat under false names in a hotel room, not even daring to go down to the reception desk—wisely, as it turned out, because their photographs were on the front page of every newspaper. Two days later they were in Washington, D.C.
with American visas in their pockets.
Mullova has made many recordings including her debut release of the Tchaikovsky
and Jean Sibelius
violin concertos which was awarded the Grand Prix du Disque.
She formed the Mullova Chamber Ensemble in the mid-1990s. The ensemble has toured Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands and has recorded the Bach violin concertos on Philips Classics. She was nominated for a 1995 Grammy Award for her recording of the Bach Partitas, and she won a 1995 Echo Klassik award, a Japanese Record Academy Award and a Deutsche Schallplattenkritik prize for her recording of the Brahms violin concerto
. Her recording of the Brahms B major Trio (no. 1) and Beethoven's Archduke Trio with Andre Previn and Heinrich Schiff was released in 1995, receiving a further Diapason d'Or.
Mullova's international career as a soloist has included performances with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
, the Philharmonia
, the Vienna Symphony, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra
, the San Francisco Symphony
and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
. She has also performed as soloist and director with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
.
Mullova plays on the Jules Falk
Stradivarius
from 1723 and a violin made in 1750 by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini
. Her bows include a Baroque style bow by a modern maker, a Dodd and a Voirin.
, London
, England with her husband, cellist Matthew Barley and three children: Misha, from her relationship with Claudio Abbado
, Katia, from her relationship with Alan Brind
, and Nadia, from her marriage with Barley.
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist. She is best known for her performances and recordings of a number of violin concerti, compositions by J.S. Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
, and her innovative interpretations of popular and jazz compositions by Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
, Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, and others.
Biography
Mullova was born in Zhukovsky, near MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, in Soviet Russia
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , commonly referred to as Soviet Russia, Bolshevik Russia, or simply Russia, was the largest, most populous and economically developed republic in the former Soviet Union....
. After studying at the Central Music School of Moscow and at the Moscow Conservatoire under Leonid Kogan, she won first prize at the 1980 International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition
International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition
The International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition, named after Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, is a competition for violinists up to age 30. It is held every five years in Helsinki and is considered to be one of the top 3 most appreciated violin competitions in the world. The first competition...
in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
and the Gold Medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition
International Tchaikovsky Competition
The International Tchaikovsky Competition is a classical music competition held every four years in Moscow, Russia for pianists, violinists, and cellists between 16 and 30 years of age, and singers between 19 and 32 years of age...
in 1982. During a tour of Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
in 1983, Mullova and her lover, Vakhtang Jordania
Vakhtang Jordania
Vakhtang Jordania was a Georgian conductor.-Biography:Born in the Republic of Georgia on Dec. 9, 1943, Maestro Jordania studied piano from the age of five. After graduating from the Tbilisi Conservatory, he studied symphonic and operatic conducting at the Leningrad Conservatory, graduating with...
, who posed as her accompanist so they could defect together, left the hotel in Kuusamo
Kuusamo
Kuusamo is a town and municipality in Finland. It is located in the Oulu province and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....
, after Jordania told the KGB officer who was watching them that Mullova was too sick from drinking to attend the afterparty
Afterparty
The term afterparty, after-party, or after party refers to a phenomenon in modern culture often seen in the hospitality or entertainment industries and among college and high-school circles in society, which involves a planned celebration following a significant event attended by guests associated...
. The Stradivari violin
Stradivarius
The name Stradivarius is associated with violins built by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari. According to their reputation, the quality of their sound has defied attempts to explain or reproduce, though this belief is controversial...
owned by the Soviet Union was left behind on the hotel bed. A Finnish Broadcasting Company journalist, accompanied by a photographer, drove them in a rented car across the border to Luleå
Luleå
- Transportation :Local buses are run by .A passenger train service is available from Luleå Centralstation on Sweden's national SJ railway service northbound to Narvik on the Norwegian coast, or southbound to Stockholm. See Rail transport in Sweden....
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and they travelled further to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. In Sweden, they applied for political asylum. At that time, the Swedish police treated the young, on-the-run musicians just like any other political defectors from the Eastern Bloc: they suggested that the couple stay in a hotel over the weekend until the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
embassy opened. So for two days they sat under false names in a hotel room, not even daring to go down to the reception desk—wisely, as it turned out, because their photographs were on the front page of every newspaper. Two days later they were in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
with American visas in their pockets.
Mullova has made many recordings including her debut release of the Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский ; often "Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" in English. His names are also transliterated "Piotr" or "Petr"; "Ilitsch", "Il'ich" or "Illyich"; and "Tschaikowski", "Tschaikowsky", "Chajkovskij"...
and Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the later Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. His mastery of the orchestra has been described as "prodigious."...
violin concertos which was awarded the Grand Prix du Disque.
She formed the Mullova Chamber Ensemble in the mid-1990s. The ensemble has toured Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands and has recorded the Bach violin concertos on Philips Classics. She was nominated for a 1995 Grammy Award for her recording of the Bach Partitas, and she won a 1995 Echo Klassik award, a Japanese Record Academy Award and a Deutsche Schallplattenkritik prize for her recording of the Brahms violin concerto
Violin Concerto (Brahms)
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 is a violin concerto in three movements composed by Johannes Brahms in 1878 and dedicated to his friend, the violinist Joseph Joachim...
. Her recording of the Brahms B major Trio (no. 1) and Beethoven's Archduke Trio with Andre Previn and Heinrich Schiff was released in 1995, receiving a further Diapason d'Or.
Mullova's international career as a soloist has included performances with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is a symphony orchestra of the Netherlands, based at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In 1988, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands conferred the "Royal" title upon the orchestra...
, the Philharmonia
Philharmonia
The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the leading orchestras in Great Britain, based in London. Since 1995, it has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford, as well as The Anvil, Basingstoke...
, the Vienna Symphony, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal is a symphony orchestra based in Montréal, Québec, Canada, with Montréal's Place des Arts as its home.-History:...
, the San Francisco Symphony
San Francisco Symphony
The San Francisco Symphony is an orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980, the orchestra has performed at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus are part of the organization...
and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, in German Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks is the internationally renowned orchestra of the Bayerischer Rundfunk , based in Munich, Germany. It is one of the three principal orchestras in the city of Munich, along with the Munich Philharmonic...
. She has also performed as soloist and director with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment is a British period instrument orchestra. The OAE is a resident orchestra of the Southbank Centre, London, associate orchestra at Glyndebourne Festival Opera and has its headquarters at Kings Place...
.
Mullova plays on the Jules Falk
Jules Falk Stradivarius
The Jules Falk Stradivarius is an antique violin made in 1723 by Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona . The instrument is currently owned and played by Russian violinist, Viktoria Mullova. It was with this instrument that Mullova won the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1982....
Stradivarius
Stradivarius
The name Stradivarius is associated with violins built by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari. According to their reputation, the quality of their sound has defied attempts to explain or reproduce, though this belief is controversial...
from 1723 and a violin made in 1750 by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini
Giovanni Battista Guadagnini
Giovanni Battista Guadagnini ; was an emiliano luthier, regarded as one of the finest craftsmen of string instruments in history.-Biography:...
. Her bows include a Baroque style bow by a modern maker, a Dodd and a Voirin.
Personal life
Mullova currently lives in Holland ParkHolland Park
Holland Park is a district and a public park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, in west central London, England.Holland Park has a reputation as an affluent and fashionable area, known for attractive large Victorian townhouses, and high-class shopping and restaurants...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England with her husband, cellist Matthew Barley and three children: Misha, from her relationship with Claudio Abbado
Claudio Abbado
Claudio Abbado, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI , is an Italian conductor. He has served as music director of the La Scala opera house in Milan, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, principal guest conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, music director of the Vienna State Opera,...
, Katia, from her relationship with Alan Brind
Alan Brind
Alan Brind is a British violinist who in 1986 at the age of 17, won the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition performing Sibelius's Violin Concerto....
, and Nadia, from her marriage with Barley.
Selected discography
- Beethoven Violin Sonatas Nos. 3, 9 (Onyx 4050). With Kristian Bezuidenhout; 2010
- JS Bach Sonatas & Partitas for violin solo (Onyx 4040); 2009
- JS Bach Sonatas for violin and harpsichord (Onyx 4020). With Ottavio Dantone; 2007
- Vivaldi 5 violin concertos (Onyx 4001). With Il Giardino Armonico; 2005
- Beethoven and Mendelssohn Violin Concertos (Philips, 473 872-2). With Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique/John Eliot Gardiner; 2003
- Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 1, 3-4 (Philips, 470 292). With Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment; 2002
- Through the Looking Glass (Philips, 464 184-2). With Matthew Barley and Between the Notes; 2000
- Bartók and Stravinsky Violin Concertos (Philips, 456 542-2). With Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra/Esa-Pekka Salonen; 1997
- Brahms Violin Sonatas (Philips, 446 709-2). With pianist Piotr Anderszewski; 1997