Viktoria Mullova and the Matthew Barley Ensemble

She probably is the one violinist of such international fame daring to play musics of so many different repertoires. The violinist's last album, The Peasant Girl (available on the Onyx label), celebrates this culture of "crossover," and thanks to the participation of non-classical musicians, displays such different musics as Kodaly's and Bartók's, gypsy music, the Django Rheinhard ballad by John Lewis, standards of jazz arranged by Matthew Barley, Weather Report compositions...

To the question: "Why The Peasant Girl?," Viktoria Mullova answered the French magazine Diapason as follows: "We had to find a title for this project: my friends and I were laughing because despite my regular performances of Beethoven, Brahms and Mendelssohn, in the end I am still a peasant. My Ukrainian grand-mother could not read or write." With the Matthew Barley Ensemble, Viktoria Mullova plays this uncommon programme, already acclaimed on many staged through the globe.

© Picture: Nick White

Musée du Louvre: Henri Loyrette, president director; Monique Devaux, artistic director for the concerts.