This week it was announced that opera star, Cecilia Bartoli, and hit songwriter, Max Martin, have been selected as the 2016 Polar Prize winners. The prize is Sweden's biggest music honor and aims to celebrate talents of all stripes in the industry.
The awards ceremony will be held in Stockholm in June and has honored the likes of Chuck Berry, Pierre Boulez and Bob Dylan in the past. For the Italian mezzo-soprano, the honor comes as a major surprise.
Bartoli is known for her interpretations of Mozart, Rossini and Gluck and has yielded major success with her solo releases. Making her professional debut in 1987 at the Verona Arena in Italy, she has also debuted at the Royal Opera House under roles such as Euridice and the Genio in a London premiere of Haydn's The Soul of the Philosopher.
Mr. Martin is also a talent in his own right. Martin is a Stockholm native and has penned some of the times' heaviest chart-toppers. He's written for Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, Justin Timberlake, The Weeknd, Katy Perry and more.
The Polar Music Prize was founded by Stig Anderson from Abba to honor all the achievements necessary in all kinds of music. In continuing its aim to award various types of music, the accolade works to bestow the honor upon artists from starkly contrasting musical worlds, which is why Martin and Bartoli, who hail from two different musical arenas, have been honored in the same gala.
Marie Leden, managing director of the Polar Music Prize, said:
"Max Martin and Cecilia Bartoli have both contributed an incredible amount to music in their respective fields. They embody what the Prize represents; excellence in the world of music."
Check out the honorees below.
Cecilia Bartoli
Max Martin
