Whether she’s playing at New York's Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie or the Salzburg Festival, Anne-Sophie Mutter has been shaping the classical music scene with her virtuosity on the violin for five decades. As a permanent fixture on the world's stages, she is viewed as a musical phenomenon. She reveals to Arts.21 that she also has a soft spot for film scores. Together with Hollywood maestro John Williams, she released an album in 2020 that included soundtracks from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, and other landmarks of film music history, which the composer arranged especially for the violinist. What drives Anne-Sophie Mutter to achieve musical excellence? What impact did Herbert von Karajan have on her work at the beginning of her career? In an interview with Arts.21, Anne-Sophie Mutter talks about the most fulfilling and challenging moments of her international career and about the importance of art and culture - especially during a pandemic - and why she’s ready to take to the streets to defend it. She also talks about political responsibility and her role as an artist, shares industry insights, describes the casting policies of agencies and promoters and talks openly about racism in the classical music industry. Arts.21 met up with the celebrated violinist for an exclusive interview at the Hotel de Rome in Berlin.