The Swedish dramatic soprano, Nina Stemme, was the fourth recipient of the Birgit Nilsson Prize, awarded in the year which also celebrated the 100th anniversary of Birgit NIlsson’s birth. Nina Stemme is in great demand worldwide. She is a frequent guest at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, La Scala in Milan, Wiener Staatsoper, Opera Bastille in Paris and the Royal Opera Houses in London and Stockholm, to name just a few. As a dramatic soprano, Stemme has continued the…

The third recipient of the Birgit Nilsson Prize was the Vienna Philharmonic and, on the occasion of the Award Ceremony in October 2014, the entire orchestra flew to Sweden and performed on stage at the Stockholm Konserthus under the direction of Riccardo Muti, in the presence of H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf and H.M. Queen Silvia. “No singer stands alone on the opera stage and the highest performance standards can only be achieved with partners who bring the same passion…

The second recipient of the Birgit Nilsson Prize was conductor Riccardo Muti, recognized for exemplifying all of the qualities that were so important to Birgit Nilsson: passion, dedication and extraordinary work over many decades. “When I heard that the Birgit Nilsson Foundation had chosen me for this distinguished award, I was deeply touched by the jury’s accolade” said Riccardo Muti. “All the more so given my profound admiration for this unique and extraordinary artist, both as an incomparable musician and…

Plácido Domingo was the first recipient of the Birgit Nilsson Prize, chosen by Nilsson herself. Yet the announcement was not made until February 2009, three years after Birgit Nilsson’s death and 40 years after her first collaboration with Domingo, performing Tosca at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. “Plácido Domingo’s worldwide career is legendary - singing 130 different roles, more than any other tenor in history” commented, Rutbert Reisch, President of the Birgit Nilsson Foundation. “His musicality is confirmed by…