Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter has been awarded Sweden’s 2019 Polar Music Prize, considered the music world’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize. She receives one million Swedish krona, approximately $151,910AUD. Classical luminaries to have been honoured in the past include Rostropovich in 1995, Pierre Boulez in 1996, Isaac Stern in 2000, Sofia Gubaidulina in 2002, György Ligeti in 2004, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau in 2005, Steve Reich in 2007, Renée Fleming in 2008, Yo-Yo Ma in 2012, Kaija Saariaho in 2013 and Cecilia Bartoli in 2016.

Polar Prize, Anne-Sophie MutterAnne-Sophie Mutter. Photo © Bastian Achard

“It is a huge honour to be in this illustrious group of musicians who have received the Polar Music Prize. I’m deeply honoured and humbled and I can’t wait to come to Stockholm and meet the other recipients,” said Mutter, who was recently awarded Limelight’s 2018 International Artist of the Year: People’s Choice.

“Anne-Sophie Mutter is a musical phenomenon,” the awards committee said. “For more than 40 years the German violinist has thrilled audiences around the world with her virtuosity and astonishing clarity. The four-time Grammy Award winner is equally committed to the performance of traditional and modern composers, to date she has played...