In keeping with tradition, the 2022 Birgit Nilsson Prize recipient will be revealed on Birgit’s birthday. For the first time, the press announcement will take place at the Birgit Nilsson Museum. By bringing the Prize announcement back to Birgit’s very own roots in South Sweden we have the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate her complete legacy. Today Birgit Nilsson's legacy includes masterclasses for young singers, an annual Stipendium supporting professional singers at the start of their careers and the much coveted Prize, awarded to artists or institutions who have contributed an important chapter to musical…

Riccardo Muti spoke during the annual New Years Day concert with the Vienna Philharmonic, giving a message of hope to the world.The concert, which was performed without a live audience in the Musikverein, was watched by an estimated worldwide TV audience of 40 million, Riccardo Muti's New Year message "We are playing this New Year's concert in a very unusual situation. We know that we are playing for many millions of people around the world, practically more than 90 different…

Riccardo Muti and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra have just returned from a tour to Asia which included three concerts in South Korea, setting a benchmark for visiting orchestras in the country. In order to secure the tour dates, the VPO had to submit an application to South Korean authorities, to be considered for an exemption to the two-week quarantine that is usually required of visitors. At present, visitors to the country must provide a compelling reason for their trip; exemptions…

The role of Isolde marked a decisive step in Nina Stemme's career. She performed it for the first time in 2003, onstage at the Glyndebourne Festival; her performance was eye-opening, and unanimously amazing. This score, which she worked on with Birgit Nilsson herself, is one of the most demanding of the repertoire. Performing the part of Isolde is immensely challenging. “You’re never ready to sing such monumental roles,” explains the soloist. The music requires a certain state of mind that…

On May 16 Plácido Domingo conducts Verdi’s Messa da Requiem at the re-opening of Teatro Municipale di Piacenza, in an evening dedicated to the victims of COVID-19. On his long awaited return to Piacenza after 48 years, Domingo leads the Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, Coro del Teatro Municipale di Piacenza and soloists María José Siri, Annalisa Stroppa, Michele Pertusi and Operalia Winner Antonio Poli. Audiences from around the world will have access to the performance via Opera Streaming.