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Press Release # 1/2004 THE AWARDING OF THE POLAR MUSIC PRIZE 2004 The POLAR MUSIC PRIZE was presented on Monday, 24th May, for the thirteenth consecutive year. The prizewinners were B. B. King and György Ligeti. Mr. Ligeti who was unable to attend due to ill-health had recorded a message of thanks and was represented in Stockholm by Dr. Louise Duchesneau. They each received prize money in the amount of one million Swedish Crowns (approx US$ 130.000 or € 109.000). His Majesty The King of Sweden awarded the prizes during a nationally-televised ceremony which for the first time took place at the Stockholm Concert Hall. This is also where the Nobel Prize ceremony takes place. The subsequent banquet and AfterParty were held at the Winter Garden, Grand Hôtel and Berns. Her Majesty The Queen, HRH Crown Princess Victoria, HRH Princess Lilian, Princess Christina Mrs. Magnuson, Minister of Culture Marita Ulvskog, Minister for Commerce and Industry Leif Pagrotsky, Sweden’s Ambassador to the U.S. Jan Eliasson, the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Stockholm Betsy Anderson, Austria’s Ambassador in Sweden Mr. Peter Pramberger, Anni-Frid Reuss (Frida), Pernilla August, Per Gessle (Roxette), The Hives, Sven-David Sandström, Gail and Diva Zappa, Roy Orbison jr, David Hockman, Stuart Watson and Rod MacSween were also among the many dignitaries and celebrities from the world of music, industry, show business and media attending the event. A specially edited version of the ceremony for internet and in collaboration with The Royal Institute of Technology, the evening’s entertainment at the banquet can be viewed here. The Polar Music Prize is the world’s most unique and prestigious music prize and was founded by Stig ”Stikkan” Anderson through the donation he gave to The Royal Swedish Academy of Music. Anderson created the prize to recognize and honour outstanding achievements in music, at the same time as bringing together the different worlds of music. Another vision he had is being realised more and more each year. He wanted to see Stockholm being filled with a celebration of music as such, a whole week of festivities culminating in the prizegiving. In 2003, the first serious effort was made to realise these ambitions. A whole weekend of activities were organised under the name of Polar Music Prize Days. In 2004, Polar Music Prize Week, encompassing exhibitions, workshops, seminars, film screenings and live performances at various locations in Stockholm saw a natural development into getting closer to the celebration of music Stig Anderson wanted to see. This is an important area of expansion for the prize and it is a means for increasing both local and international awareness of the Polar Music Prize. During his stay, B. B. King met students at the Royal University College of Music in Stockholm, participated in a public forum for Polar Music Prize laureates at the Stockholm Cultural Centre (Kulturhuset) and in a tribute evening at Berns. Performers at the prize ceremony in Stockholm Concert Hall Roland Pöntinen, Eric Bibb, Janne Petersson, Louise Hoffsten, Mats Ronander, Kustbandet, Britt-Marie Aruhn, Elgar Howarth, Mats Ronander Band, Magnus Lindgren and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra under the leadership of their conductor Alan Gilbert. Compère Petra Nordlund. American artist Eric Bibb performed his self-penned composition and personal tribute to B. B. King, “Tell Riley”. Under the leadership of world-renowned conductor Elgar Howarth, soprano Britt-Marie Aruhn sang an aria from Ligeti’s “Mysteries of the Macabre” which enjoyed its world premiere in Stockholm in 1978. Both were members of the original cast. Jimmy Page (formerly of Led Zeppelin) read the prize citation for B. B. King and Elgar Howarth for György Ligeti. At the banquet held at the Winter Garden, Grand Hôtel, pianist Roland Pöntinen played music of György Ligeti, from “Études pour piano – premier livre” (1985): Étude 2 : Cordes à vide Étude 4 : Fanfares Étude 6 : Automne à Varsovie B. B. King and his band received a rapturous reception when they entertained the guests live. The AfterParty at Berns also saw live entertainment with performances from local singers Shirley Clamp, Sarah Dawn Finer together with Patrik Kolar & His Funky Friends. Publicity photos and other press material can also be downloaded here. Previous Prizewinners 1992 Sir Paul McCartney and the Baltic States (for copyright protection) 1993 Dizzy Gillespie and Witold Lutoslawski 1994 Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Quincy Jones 1995 Sir Elton John and Mstislav Rostropovitch 1996 Pierre Boulez and Joni Mitchell 1997 Eric Ericson and Bruce Springsteen 1998 Ray Charles and Ravi Shankar 1999 Stevie Wonder and Iannis Xenakis 2000 Bob Dylan and Isaac Stern 2001 Burt Bacharach, Robert Moog and Karlheinz Stockhausen 2002 Sofia Gubaidulina and Miriam Makeba 2003 Keith Jarrett |
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Polar Music Prize, PO Box 27327, SE-102 54 STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN | Phone: +46 8 629 53 38 | E-mail: info@polarmusicprize.com | |
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Copyright © 1992-2008 Polar Music Prize. All rights reserved. The music on this web site has been made available with the due permission of STIM/NCB. Updated: 05/14/2008 | E-mail: webmaster@polarmusicprize.com | |