(Photo Credit: Metropolitan Opera House/Vladimir Shirokov)

Soprano Anna Netrebko has been named the Laureate for the 2020 Polar Music Prize. The announcement was made on Tuesday morning, Feb. 11 at the Stockholm City Hall by Alfons Karabuda, chairman of the Polar Music Prize award committee.

The Polar Music Prize was founded in 1989 by Stig Anderson, the manager and music publisher of ABBA. A well-known lyricist, he was also the co-writer on many of their early hits. The prize was first presented in 1992.

Anna Netrebko recently performed the title role in Verdi and Ghislanzoni’s “Aida,” the title role in Cilea and Colautti’s opera “Adriana Lecouvreur,” and the role of Lady Macbeth in Verdi and Piave’s “Macbeth” at the Metropolitan Opera House. Netrebko also opened the new season at the Teatro alla Scala in December 2019 in the title role in Puccini, Giacosa and Illica’s “Tosca”.

The soprano also gave her highly acclaimed role debut in the Puccini, Adami, and Simoni’s “Turandot” at the Bayerische Staatsoper on January 28.

The prize will be presented in a ceremony at the Grand Hotel in Stockholm on June 9, 2020.