Cecilia Bartoli has been awarded the Polar Music Prize 2016.
Her citation reads: 'With a vocal range of three octaves and a unique ability to live a role with fullness of expression, Cecilia Bartoli has developed song as an art form. Cecilia Bartoli has spellbound audiences in the world’s great opera houses, but is not content with the well-known repertoire. She has also dug deeply into the history of music and presented long-lost music from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries that is completely new to today’s audiences. Cecilia Bartoli adds new chapters to the history of music, builds bridges between centuries and deepens our understanding of Europe’s cultural heritage. Cecilia Bartoli shows us that raised voices can change the world.'
The award, worth SEK 1m (£82,000) has previously been presented to Dame Evelyn Glennie (2015), Kaija Saariaho (2013), Pierre Boulez (1996) and Nikolaus Harnoncourt (1994).
