Birgit Nilsson Scholarship awarded to Swedish soprano Matilda Sterby

This year's Birgit Nilsson Scholarship has been awarded to the Swedish soprano Matilda Sterby. The announcement was made by the Birgit Nilsson Foundation on Friday in Nilsson's birthplace, Västra Karup, in the southern Swedish municipality of Båstad. The scholarship, worth 250,000 Swedish kronor (around 21,425 euros), will be presented to the singer on August 9 as part of her scholarship concert in Nilsson's ‘own’ Västra Karup church.

‘It's a dream come true to receive this scholarship because it means so much,’ explained Sterby, according to the press release. ‘It's a confirmation that I'm on the right path.’

The singer studied at the Stockholm Opera Academy and made guest appearances at the Gothenburg Opera in 2020 and 2022. This season, she is making her debut at the Malmö Opera as Donna Anna in ‘Don Giovanni’ and as Magda, the female lead, in ‘La Rondine’ at the Vienna Volksoper. She also performed as Mimì in ‘La Bohème’ and Micaëla in ‘Carmen’ in Karlsruhe, and portrayed the Countess in ‘Figaro's Wedding’ in Hanover and Klagenfurt.

The Birgit Nilsson Scholarship was established in 1969 in memory of Ragnar Blennow, the artist's first teacher (1918-2005), and was first awarded in 1973. Previous recipients include several Swedish singers who have made international careers, such as Nina Stemme, Anna Larsson, Karl-Magnus Fredriksson, and Malin Byström.

Since 2009, the Birgit Nilsson Foundation has also awarded the prize endowed by the soprano for outstanding achievements and significant contributions in opera or concert. The award, endowed with one million dollars, was last presented to cellist Yo-Yo Ma (2022).