Violinist lifts cast of young talent

German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter's path to stardom has relied not only on talents, but also on opportunities given by masters like her teachers, soloist Aida Stucki and conductor Herbert von Karajan, with whom she had 13 years of collaboration till his death.

So she wanted to reach a point that she could also help a younger generation of musicians. That's why she founded the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation in 1997, which commissions compositions for its scholarship students.

Mutter's Virtuosi, an ensemble of 14 scholarship students, is the next step, coming as her foundation is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. She will lead the ensemble in its China debut in Beijing on June 11.