Sold out to the last seat and in front of a very enthusiastic audience, Ida Ränzlöv – this year’s Birgit Nilsson scholarship holder – gave a traditional scholarship concert last night in Västra Karup’s church together with the pianist Magnus Svensson. With a broad program – Bizet, Rossini, Strauss, Dvorak, Wagner and Rangström – Ida offered particularly liberally of her great knowledge. And the audience could unanimously state that she was a very well-deserved recipient of SEK 200,000 plus a diploma. The prize-giver was Susanne Rydén, chairman of the Birgit Nilsson Foundation and president of the Royal Academy of Music. As an extra bonus, Stefan Johansson contributed knowledgeable and funny comments to te audience, among others, Kurt Jacobsson and Britta Möllerström, the first recipients of the scholarship that Birgit established 50 years ago.
The jury’s motivation: “With her well-focused voice, Ida Ränzlöv conveys both intense warmth and icy cold in a unique way. Her mezzo has a Nordic timbre that has already made an impression in the international opera world. Her music is also heartfelt, communicative and reflective. All this makes her a worthy recipient of the Birgit Nilsson scholarship.”