One of the Three Tenors, Placido Domingo, received the first ever Birgit Nillsson Award and the $1 million prize money in Stockholm, Sweden. The prize was awarded to him by King Carl XVI Gustaf at the Royal Swedish Opera.
“This is comparable to the Nobel Prize in music,” Domingo said during his acceptance speech.
The late Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson chose Domingo for the prize almost ten years ago and the secret was to be kept until after her death. Nilsson passed in December of 2005.
The tenor will be using the prize money to set up a Birgit Nilsson category for Wagnerian singers in his opera competition, Operalia.
Domingo said that Nilsson was “one of the greatest artists, if not the greatest.”
We’re sure Nilsson would appreciate the kind gesture of honoring her memory during Operalia.
But, come on, does it really take a million bucks to do so? We wonder what else that money will be used for?
[Image via WENN.]
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