Anne-Sophie Mutter has a true passion for chamber music; in the course of her impressive globe-spanning career, she has obviously shared the stage with eminent colleagues of the likes of Martha Argerich and André Previn. She also loves to concertize with young artists, whom she supports through the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation, helping to pave the way for them to perform in prestigious international music venues, as is now the case for Spanish cellist Pablo Ferrández, the winner of the 15th Tchaikovsky Competition. “He really has something special: gorgeous sound, refined and nuanced vibrato, flawless technique in the left and right hand – a true musician”, she remarks. Another true musician, the versatile pianist Lambert Orkis, has been working for 33 years together with the legendary violinist. They gave their first public performance in 1988 at Carnegie Hall, and both immediately knew that they were an optimal musical match. “The encounter with Lambert was one of the great lucky events in my life”, Mutter affirms. “As we started to play, it soon became clear how perfectly we phrased and breathed together.” Anne-Sophie Mutter shall now give her 13th concert at the Ruhr Piano Festival. In this case, the number thirteen will be a lucky number for our music-loving audience!