Viktoria Mullova studied at the Central Music School of Moscow and the Moscow Conservatoire. Her extraordinary talent captured international attention when she won first prize at the 1980 Sibelius Competition in Helsinki and the Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1982 which was followed, in 1983, by her dramatic and much publicized defection to the West. She has since appeared with most of the world's greatest orchestras and conductors and at the major international festivals. She is now known the world over as a violinist of exceptional versatility and musical integrity. Her curiosity spans the breadth of musical development from baroque and classical right up to the most contemporary influences from the world of fusion and experimental music.
Her interest in the authentic approach has led to collaborations with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Il Giardino Armonico, Venice Baroque and Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique. She has a close association with harpsichordist Ottavio Dantone with whom she tours and which led Tim Ashley to write, “To hear Mullova play Bach is, simply, one of the greatest things you can experience…” in The Guardian. Her most recent recording of Bach’s solo sonatas and partitas represents a significant milestone in Viktoria’s personal journey into this music. The recording has received 5-star reviews from all over the world and she is embarking on an international, several season-long, series of solo Bach recitals.
Her ventures into creative contemporary music started in 2000 with her album “Through the Looking Glass” in which she played world, jazz and pop music arranged for solo violin and ensemble by Matthew Barley. Her exploration continues, commissioning works from young composers such as Fraser Trainer and Thomas Larcher and she is currently working on “The Peasant Girl”, a project with the Matthew Barley Ensemble in which they perform music from a diverse musical canvas with roots in classical, gypsy and jazz. She was recently asked by London's Southbank Centre to feature as their first “Artist-in-Focus” in their re-vamped International Chamber Music Series. The Southbank’s head of music, Marshall Marcus described her as, “a great virtuoso with extraordinary courage and commitment with a rare propensity to try new things and experiment.” This season, the Vienna Konzerthaus will feature Viktoria as their Guest Artist in Residence and the following season, the London Symphony Orchestra recognizes her musical diversity in a series of concerts at London’s Barbican Centre and St Luke’s.
As a recitalist, she regularly performs with Katia Labèque and she has recently formed a duo with the fortepianist Kristian Bezuidenout performing works by Schubert and Beethoven with whom she has recorded Beethoven sonatas. She is also a familiar face on the international concert scene appearing regularly with the world’s major orchestras and conductors.
Mullova’s extensive discography for Philips Classics has attracted many prestigious awards. In 2005 she joined the ONYX Classics label to present a series of new recordings. Her recording of the Vivaldi Concertos with Il Giardino Armonico and directed by Giovanni Antonini, won the Diapason D’Or of the Year award for 2005. Other discs have included the Schubert Octet with the Mullova Ensemble, “Recital” with Katia Labèque, Bach Sonatas with Ottavio Dantone and “6 Solo Sonatas and Partitas” by J S Bach.
Viktoria either plays on her ‘Jules Falk’ 1723 Stradivarius or a Guadagnini violin.
