German violinist holds the strings on China tour

Anne-Sophie Mutter and pianist Lambert Orkis at Shanghai Oriental Art Center on Mar 15. [Photos by Mao Xinlin for chinadaily.com.cn]

German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter is on tour in China, playing a recital at Shanghai Oriental Art Center on Mar 15, and then at the National Center for Performing Arts in Beijing on Mar 17.

Together with long-time collaborator pianist Lambert Orkis, Mutter will play Mozart's Violin Sonata No.18 in G major, Schubert's Fantasie in C Major, Three Romances by Clara Schumann and Respighi's Violin Sonata in B minor in Shanghai and Beijing respectively.

Anne-Sophie Mutter and pianist Lambert Orkis at Shanghai Oriental Art Center on Mar 15. [Photos by Mao Xinlin for chinadaily.com.cn]

The 60-year-old violinist made her professional debut at 13, after she was discovered by legendary conductor Herbert von Karajan. In three years Mutter will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of her music career, "and maybe that will take me back to China," the violinist told the media in Shanghai before the concert on Mar 15.

Mutter is famous for her love of wearing strapless ball gowns at concerts. The musician said that she had begun to recycle her gowns in the recent years, wearing a dress that she wore at her Japanese debut 45 years ago. A strong advocate of slow fashion, Mutter believed "we need to be very careful about what we consume," and be aware of the environmental and human cost behind fashion.