Violinist Julia Fischer Launches 2022 Mozart Concerti Project

In the 2021-22 season, Fischer serves as an Artist-in-Residence with the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) and has taken on the noteworthy project of performing and directing all five of Mozart's violin concertos.

London audiences were treated to live performances of the canon in February of this year at Southbank's Festival Hall — and all Marquee TV subscribers can watch her perform the first three Mozart concertos, here.

Mozart's fourth and fifth concertos, plus Sinfonia Concertante, performed with conductor Thomas Søndergård and violist Nils Mönkemeyer, will be available on Marquee TV on Saturday, March 12, free of charge for the next 48 hours for all online viewers to enjoy.

"When she suggested that we might like to explore all five of Mozart’s violin concertos together, we didn’t need asking twice," a spokesperson for the LPO said. "These five elegant mini-masterpieces are the work of a teenager – graceful, brilliant, touched by genius. But above all, they’re fun."

Leading up to the event, The Violin Channel had a chance to catch up with the acclaimed Ana Chumachenco protege. During the period of COVID-19 lockdowns, Fischer was busy, like most parents, homeschooling her two kids. She also continued to teach her Munich University students, read through new repertoire, and make content for her online hub, the JF Club.

Founded in 2017, the JF Club allows her to communicate directly with her fans and offer exclusive audio and video footage, plus personal insights into her music and her work. 

"I really can’t deal with social media — I don’t use Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, but I wanted to be able to get in contact with my audience in a more controlled, and maybe less frequent, way than many of my colleagues," Julia told The Violin Channel.

When asked about the need for musicians to have an entrepreneurial spirit, she said, "I think every artist has to find his or her own way. Not every musician is necessarily a businessperson, but I think the primary goal needs to remain: be an honest artist."

Additionally, with this week celebrating International Women's Day, Julia was happy to report she'd never personally felt discriminated against or disadvantaged in the industry because of her gender. 

"I just followed my dreams and my goals," said the former Junior Menuhin Competition first prize winner. "Sometimes the path was easier, other times more complicated. But, I was able to overcome troubles because I was doing what I truly wanted to do."  

When discussing her upcoming London Philharmonic webcasts, Julia urged her fans to tune into the high-definition performances, but also encouraged audiences to attend live concerts if they are able.

"Nothing can replace the experience of a performance in a concert hall," she said.

Her next live performance will be on Wednesday, April 13, at the Royal Festival Hall with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Vladimir Jurowski. The program will include Elgar's Violin Concerto, which will later be recorded.