The French violinist Renaud Capuçon is moving labels to Deutsche Grammophon, following a long-standing career with Erato. Extensive plans will include releases of live concerts with prestigious partners, an ambitious Mozart project, and support for young artists.

Capuçon’s album for the Yellow Label will feature pianist Martha Argerich, an artist he's worked closely with on the concert stage. Taken from a recital at the Aix-en-Provence Easter Festival (of which Capuçon is Artistic Director) in April 2022 – a concert dedicated to their friend and colleague pianists Nicholas Angelich, who had died just days earlier – it will include Schumann’s Sonata No 1, Beethoven’s Sonata No 9, ‘Kreutzer’, and Franck’s Sonata.

Releases will continue with collaborations with other instrumentalists, ensembles and festivals with whom Capuçon has links, and as well as audio recordings will feature films too.

Next year will see the beginning of what's being described as 'a multi-faceted Mozart celebration', including the complete violin concertos with the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, of which Capuçon is also Artistic Director. Then, together with regular chamber music partner pianist Kit Armstrong, he’ll record the complete Mozart sonatas for violin and piano, a cycle they’ve performed frequently since 2016. The complete string quintets will also be captured by DG, to be recorded at the Salzburg Festival with what’s described as ‘an all-star ensemble of fellow chamber musicians’, to be released in audio-visual formats.

Lastly, Capuçon’s commitment to mentoring young artists and contemporary composers will be reflected in recordings on a new imprint called ‘Beau Soir’, a company co-owned by the violinist, and released by DG.

Renaud Capuçon recording career for Erato has been an illustrious one. Last year saw his most recent Editor's Choice for his recording of Elgar's Violin Concerto and Violin Sonata (with Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra, and pianist Sir Stephen Hough), to tie in with which we featured him on our March cover, accompanied by an in-depth profile by Charlotte Gardner. The year also saw a recording of music by Arvo Pärt with his Orchestra de Chamber de Lausanne which earned high praise from reviewer Ivan Moody: 'It's difficult in many ways to come up with anything but lyrical adjectives when confronted with playing of this quality', he wrote.

Commenting on the deal, Capuçon said: ‘There are so many possibilities for us to explore together on how to present classical music in fresh ways. We want to capture the unbeatable energy of live performance and the excitement that compositions familiar to audiences today generated the first time they were heard. Our plans will also be a springboard for some of today’s finest young talents and allow me to curate projects with many of my wonderful chamber music and orchestral colleagues.’

Clemens Trautmann, DG President, described Capuçon as ‘a great ambassador and advocate for classical music, an artist who understands the unique power of live music-making to move and connect people’, adding that ‘he is the first French violinist signed to DG since Christian Ferras, one of his great sources of inspiration.’