The Polar Music Prize is awarded for significant contributions in any area of music, in line with the guidelines of founder Stig Anderson.
In highlighting two very different musical achievements that still share certain clear characteristics, we seek to build bridges across musical genres.
The composition of the Award Committee for the Polar Music Prize reflects the full spectrum of musical endeavour and is intended to represent a wide range of expertise as well as authority and integrity.
As in previous years, the Polar Music Prize Award Committee has, apart from its members’ own nominees, in addition received nominations not only from professional organisations such as ECSA (European Composer and Songwriter Alliance) and CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers), but also from a growing number of private individuals. The increasing interest has not made the work of the Award Committee easier, but the certainty of having made the right choice more evident.
The Committee´s assignment and dedicated work, going through in-depth discussions showing what shifts below the surface, has culminated in a unanimous decision on this year’s fantastic laureates.
-Alfons Karabuda
Members of the Award Committee
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Alfons Karabuda Chairman of the Polar Music Prize Award Committee As a composer, mainly of film and theatre music, Alfons has an extensive career in Sweden and internationally, with music composed for BBC, Zentropa, DR, SVT, the Swedish Film Institute, Dansens Hus and the Stockholm City Theatre. Alfons Karabuda is chairman of SKAP (Swedish Composers of Popular Music), ECSA (European Composer & Songwriter Alliance), APCOE (The Alliance of Popular Music Composer Organization of Europe) and MUSIKSVERIGE. Member of the board of STIM (Swedish International Music Composers Bureau), NCB (Nordic Copyright Bureau) and Svensk Musik (Swedish Music Information Centre). Recently appointed by the government to the arts council of Statens Musikverk (Music Development and Heritage of Sweden). |
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Anders Anderson Represents the Anderson family. Anders is Deputy Director of the Institute for Financial Research (SIFR) and holds a PhD in Finance from the Stockholm School of Economics. He is member of the board of the Polar Music Prize, Chairman of its Investment Committee, as well as member of the board at Cicero Fonder, a Swedish mutual fund company. |
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Lars Anderson Represents the Anderson family. Composer, arranger and producer of popular music. Has received Swedish Music Awards such as Grammies, Rockbear and several International awards . Master in marketing at IHM. Member of SKAP, IFPI and SMFF. |
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Johan Ekelund Producer, composer and musical arranger. Studied at the Institute for Electroacoustic Music (EMS) in Stockholm. Member of the rock group Ratata. Has composed, arranged and produced recordings with numerous artists: Lisa Nilsson, Anne Linnet, Peter Jöback, Esbjörn Svensson Trio, Fra Lippo Lippi, Stina Nordenstam, to name but a few. Founder of digital media distributor Klicktrack, independent music publisher Kobalt Music and independent record label Diesel Music. Board member of STIM, Export Music Sweden, IMPALA and SKAP. |
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Renée Fleming (Senior Advisor) As “the people’s diva” and as a respected musical ambassador, celebrated soprano Renée Fleming has charmed audiences around the globe, from the world’s leading opera and concert houses to the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony to recent performances in Russia and Beijing during the 2008 Olympic Games. In September 2008, Ms. Fleming became the first woman in the history of the Metropolitan Opera to headline an opening-night gala. Among the soprano’s numerous awards are Honorary Membership in the Royal Academy of Music (2003); the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur by the French government (2005) and the Polar Music Prize (2008). |
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Stefan Forsberg Stefan Forsberg was in 2003 appointed Executive and Artistic Director of the Stockholm Concert Hall Foundation and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. In March 2007 the Stockholm Concert Hall Foundation extended his appointment until 2015. Forsberg also holds a position at the Royal Court as Lord in Waiting and is since 2009 a member of The Royal Academy of Music. During Forsbergs period, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra’s international presence has been of highest priority. The orchestra has debuted at the London Proms, conducted large landscaped Japanese-tours, visited Carnegie Hall and United Nations in New York and made several other European tours and guest performances. At home in the Stockholm Concert Hall has the leading artists of today made Stockholm to a regular venue in their yearly planning. |
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Hans Gefors Composer and PhD in artistic research. His breakthrough was 1986 with the grand opera Christina at the Royal Opera in Stockholm in collaboration with Lars Forssell. He has written four full-length operas, several other dramatic and vocal works as well as orchestral music. His operas has been performed in Malmö, Stockholm, Paris, Wiesbaden, Lübeck, Copenhagen and Bern and four of them in television. His next major opera is written for Gothenburg with librettist Kerstin Perski, premiere in 2015. Hans Gefors was head of the composition department in Malmö Academy of Music in 1988-2001. He is a member of the Royal Academy of Music and currently working as an expert in the Danish Arts Foundations (Kunstfonden) committee for art music. |
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Kim Hedås Kim Hedås studied composition at the Royal University College of Music, Stockholm and her studies were completed with a diploma in 1997. Her music has been performed by ensembles such as the Swedish Radio Orchestra, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Kroumata Percussion Ensemble, VOX, DalaSinfoniettan and the Gothenburg Opera. Her production contains chamber music, orchestral music, choral music, theatre music and electro acoustic music. For two years, she was Composer in Residence at the Swedish Radio. Kim Hedås is currently working with a research project, focusing on composition and the relations between music and text at the University of Gothenburg. |
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Nutta Hultman Secretary General at Swedish MPA (Swedish Music Publishers Association). She started her career as a PA to the founder of the prize, Stig Anderson. She has a long and renowned career in the music business. She has worked on domestic, as well as international markets for several major and independent record companies. Deputy member of STIM. Board member of Svenskt Rockarkiv. Since 2004 also a trained Psychotherapist with a degree in Gestalt Therapy. |
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Thomas Johansson Thomas Johansson is one of the most experienced persons in the Concert industry. He founded EMA Telstar in 1969 and is the largest promoter in the Nordic countries. He is currently the Chairman of International Music at Live Nation. Thomas Johansson works with such artists as Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Bob Dylan, U2 and the Rolling Stones just to mention a few. Besides bringing some of the largest artists to perform in the Nordic Countries, he is the tour producer and promoter behind the Swedish sensations ABBA and Roxette. He produced all ABBA world Tours 1975-1980 and Roxette’s world tours in the 90′s and he is still working with producing Roxette’s successful ongoing world tour. He has also been involved in the musical Chess in the 80’s and Mamma Mia in the 90’s. |
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Ennio Morricone (Senior Advisor) Maestro Ennio Morricone has composed and arranged scores for more than 500 film and TV productions and is widely acknowledged as one of the most prolific and influential film composers of his era. He is well-known for his long-term collaborations with international acclaimed directors such as Sergio Leone, Brian De Palma, Barry Levinson, and Giuseppe Tornatore. Ennio Morricone received the Polar Music Prize in 2010. He has also received numerous Grammies, BAFTAs, Golden Globes, Nastro d’Argento and David di Donatello awards. In 2007, he received the Academy Honorary Award “for his magnificent and multifaceted contributions to the art of film music”. |
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Anne Sofie von Otter Anne Sofie von Otter is one of the finest singers of her generation. The internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano works with the pre-eminent conductors of the day, has triumphed at the world’s major opera houses and is a regular guest at leading festivals. She was born in Stockholm and studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London with Vera Rosza. She also attended classes in lied interpretation with Geoffrey Parsons in London and Erik Werba in Vienna. In 1980 she began her collaboration with the pianist Bengt Forsberg. Two years later she joined the ensemble of the Basle Opera, where she made her mark as an interpreter of Mozart (Cherubino, Dorabella, Sesto) and Richard Strauss (Composer). |
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Georg ”Jojje” Wadenius Georg Wadenius has been a professional guitarist, composer, arranger and producer since 1968. He first became known in his native country, Sweden, through his work with the group “Made in Sweden” and for his children’s songs. He was also early on one of the most sought after studio players in Stockholm. He was then hired by “Blood, Sweat and Tears” and moved to the USA and played with them for three and a half years (1972-5). Later on he became a member of the “Saturday Night Live” band (1979-85) and in the 1980‘s he was one of the 4-5 most used session guitarists in New York, playing on records by Luther Vandross, Roberta Flack, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Donald Fagen, Michael Franks, Joe Thomas, Backstreet Boys and countless others. He also toured briefly with Roberta Flack (‘80), Luther Vandross (‘81), Simon and Garfunkel (‘82) and Steely Dan (‘94). Georg Wadenius is currently Music Director at the Polar Music Prize Ceremony. He has received five Grammies over the years and just about any music award that you could think of in Sweden (Hagström Prize, Guitar People Prize and the Cornelis Prize). |
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Lennart Åberg One of Sweden’s most renowned jazz musicians. 2007 Lennart received the Jazzcat as Jazz player of the year. He has played together with artist such as Bob Brookmeyer, George Russell, Don Cherry och Zakir Hussain and many more. Contemporary artmusic, indian, african or eastern European music, are all part of Lennart Åberg’s musical palette. Lennart Åberg is a member of The Royal Academy of Music. |
