Top-class violinist adds more strings to her bow

It was 1 o'clock on Sunday afternoon when Anne-Sophie Mutter warmly greeted everyone at a hotel room in Beijing.

"I can still remember that I visited Beijing in 1996 for the first time. I walked around the hutong (traditional alleyways) and saw many beautiful old buildings. The city has changed greatly and is still beautiful," she says.

Clad in a red velvet suit, the violinist was going to perform at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing that night, along with pianist Lambert Orkis.