Around the Music Festival

Russian soprano singer Anna Netrebko was selected for the Polar Music Prize in 2020. On February 11, local time, the award committee announced at Stockholm City Hall. Netrebko was born in 1971 in Krasnodar, southern Russia. She studied vocal music at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, won the Glinka Singing Competition in 1993, and made her debut in 1994 at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, playing Susanna in “The Marriage of Figaro”.

Since then, she has swept the opera world with her singing skills, acting skills, and beauty, and has continued to play an active role as the number one soprano. Last year, she had a success of singing “Aida” and “Adriana Lecouvreur” and singing Mrs. Macbeth of “Macbeth”. She was also featured in the Tosca, the opening performance of Teatro alla Scala at the end of the year. Even this year, in January she performed for the first time in the title role of “Turandot” in the Bavarian State Opera and gained high acclaim.

The music prize was founded in 1989 by Stig Anderson, a music publisher and manager of the popular Swedish group ABBA. The first winner was chosen in 1992, often one each from the classical and pop worlds. Last year, Anne-Sophie Mutter was selected from the classical music world. The award ceremony will take place on June 9 in Stockholm, where the winners will be awarded a prize of SEK 1 million.

Photo：Kirk Edwards