Anna Netrebko, the internationally renowned, Russian-born soprano has been declared a 2020 recipient of the prestigious Polar Music Prize. On 31 January, she will come to Stockholm for an exclusive concert at Konserthuset. She will be accompanied by pianist Pavel Nebolsin, and will perform a programme of music by Russian, French and German composers. Guest artists this evening are mezzo-soprano Elena Maximova and violinist Giovanni Andrea Zanon.

Anna Netrebko’s stage presence is infused with tremendous charisma. Many people consider her the reigning opera star of the 2000s, a soprano with “star quality” in the fullest sense of the expression.

She was born in Krasnodar, Russia, studied singing at the conservatory in St. Petersburg and made her stage debut at age 22. Since then, her interpretations of the most iconic opera heroines have made lasting impressions, as have her award-wining recordings.

Anna Netrebko regularly appears in leading roles on the world’s top opera stages and she is the first classical musician to have ever been included in Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

She has received many prizes and distinctions, including the International Opera Award 2017 for Best Female Singer; Opera News Award 2016; Musical America’s 2008 Artist of the Year; Germany’s prestigious Bambi Award; and the UK’s Classical BRIT Award for Singer of the Year and Female Artist of the Year. Anna, who is also an Austrian citizen, received the prestigious “Kammersängerin” title in 2017.

Pianist Pavel Nebolsin was born to a musical family and studied music from a young age. He was the laureate of Young Soloists Festival (1995) and Classic Heritage International Competition (1998). He graduated from Gnessin State Academy of Music in 2008. Pavel Nebolsin has received Best Accompanist diplomas from the Russian Vocal Levko Competition, the International Festival Modern Art and Education, the International Antonin Dvorak Singing Competition and the Glinka International Vocal Contest. Since 2009 he has an ongoing collaboration with the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.