Nathalie Stutzmann is Back with Erato—This Time as a Conductor

Conductor Nathalie Stutzmann has signed an exclusive contract with Warner Classics & Erato. The partnership debuts with Stutzmann's recording of Antonin Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 (From the New World) and American Suite with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, which Stutzmann has been leading as Music Director since 2022.

Stutzmann began her career as a contralto, and as such signed her first contract with Erato in the 1980s. She then started her conducting career in the early 2000s, and in 2014, made another contract with the label as conductor and soloist of her own chamber orchestra, Orfeo 55, which disbanded in 2019. Two years later, she made another Erato recording, this time performing Franz Schubert's three major song cycles transposed for contralto with pianist Inger Södergren.

"Nathalie Stutzmann has indeed entered a 'new world' as an artist in her evolution from singer to conductor," said Alain Lanceron, President Warner Classics & Erato, of Stutzmann's new contract. "This Dvorak No. 9 will stand as her first recording of a symphony, giving proof of her thrilling capacity for shedding fresh light on works of the core repertoire. Having followed Nathalie's career since its early days, I can say that her interpretations-in their strength, honesty, insight and affection-are very much an expression of the person I have come to know over the years."

In a statement, Stutzmann acknowledged her earlier contracts with Erato, saying: "I have a long and rich history of collaboration with this amazing group of people, who love the artists they work with and create a family atmosphere." She adds: "It is a dream come true to work with a team that understands and respects the necessity for an artist to have the artistic freedom to create a true musical world, and to record works of immense beauty with my favourite orchestras in the world."

She describes the new recording of Dvorak's New World Symphony and American Suite as "a lovely tribute to my amazing commitments across the Atlantic" and "to the new horizons opening up for our exciting collaboration."