Born in Bern, Switzerland, Annette Bartholdy is prizewinner of many national (Swiss National Youth Competition, Orpheus Prize, Swiss Performing Artists' Award) and international (Pro Musicis International Award) competitions and awards. Annette Bartholdy has worked with masters such as Andras Schiff, Thomas Zehetmair and Heinz Holliger and has appeared as a soloist with many leading European ensembles such as the European Camerata, the Festival Strings Lucerne and the Camerata Bern and has toured extensively in Europe, the USA, South America, South Africa and Japan. Since 2004 she is a member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, one of the finest ensembles in the world. Annette Bartholdy is a passionate chamber musician. She is a member of the newly founded Goldberg Trio Lucerne (stringtrio) and has been invited to the leading chamber music festivals in the world such as Davos in Switzerland, Prussia Cove in England, Versailles and La Prée in France, Elverum in Norway and Perth in Australia.Since 2000 Annette Bartholdy plays with the English pianist Julius Drake as a duo. In February 2002 Annette Bartholdy gave her Wigmore Hall Debut. Her Bach-Shostakovich recital, together with Julius Drake, was received with great enthusiasm by the public and the press: "music-making of rare intensity" and "one leaves such a concert with a deep sense of gratitude - something words can't capture" (Martin Anderson).
Her edition of the Shostakovich Cello Sonata in the version for viola by Boosey&Hawkes and a CD with Shostakovich Sonatas by Naxos were published in spring 2004. The critics were full of praise: "effortlessly beautifully playing" and "the recording from Yuri Bashmet is generally considered to be the finest but this searching and compelling Naxos recording with its dramatic restraint is more than its equal" (Michael Cookson). Annette Bartholdy plays a very fine Balestrieri Viola of 1767.