Soprano Matilda Sterby Receives 2024 Birgit Nilsson Award

Sterby will receive $23,300 USD to assist with career development

The Swedish soprano Matilda Sterby has been named as the recipient of the prestigious Birgit Nilsson Award for 2024. As part of her award, Sterby will receive a cash prize of 250,000 Swedish Krona ($23,300 USD) to assist her in paying for lessons, coaching sessions, and other career development activities.

After completing her studies at the Opera College in Stockholm, Sterby made her debut as the Countess in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro at Läckö Castle. Further roles include Fiordiligi in a streamed Così fan tutte in 2020 and Marenka in Brudköpet in 2022, both at Gothenburg Opera.

Sterby recently made her Malmö Opera debut as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and as Magda, the female lead, in La Rondine at Volksoper Wien. She has also played Mimì in La Bohème and Micaëla in Carmen in Karlsruhe, as well as the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro in Klagenfurt and Hannover.

The Birgit Nilsson Scholarship was originally established by Nilsson herself in 1973, in memory of her first singing teacher, Ragnar Blennow.

"It has been a dream to one day receive this scholarship, because it means so much," Sterby said. "First of all because it is connected to Birgit Nilsson's name — her fantastic artistry and how she handled all the challenges of her career — but also because previous scholarship holders are singers that I have long looked up to. And it's a confirmation that I'm on the right path."

"Then the money will come in handy for further development, singing lessons, coaching and the opportunity to travel to broaden my career's horizons."