Press Release, May 27 2026
Young opera singer wins SEK 300,000
The Mogren Music Prize 2026 goes to 26-year-old mezzo-soprano Rebecka Wallroth. The prize sum, SEK 300,000, is awarded in recognition of her technical brilliance and artistic radiance amid fierce European competition.
“I love how opera challenges modern social norms while simultaneously showcasing our cultural history. Opera gives difficult questions the space they deserve so that we can talk about them, deepen our empathy and understand each other better — and that is something we truly need right now,” says Rebecka Wallroth, winner of the Mogren Music Prize 2026.
Rebecka Wallroth is awarded the Mogren Music Prize 2026, whose prize sum has been increased this year to SEK 300,000. The award recognises her profound musicality, brilliant technique, stylistic assurance and artistic radiance, which have conquered Europe's opera stages “in fiercely competitive circumstances”.
“As an opera singer you compete against the whole of Europe, but simply applying for a job can be extraordinarily expensive and a considerable financial risk. Receiving the Mogren Music Prize means a great deal to me, as it allows me to continue developing in a highly uncertain but deeply meaningful industry,” says Rebecka Wallroth.
The Mogren Music Prize aims to support young, promising musicians at the start of their careers, with the goal of easing their entry into the professional arts industry.
“A vibrant cultural life is so important, both for our well-being and for the unique spaces it creates, where different thoughts and emotions can meet. Rebecka captivates her audiences with her intuitive performances and her ability to bring characters to life in a dynamic and authentic way,” says Tobias Theorell, Director of Opera at the Royal Swedish Opera and Chair of the nomination committee for the Mogren Music Prize.
The 26-year-old mezzo-soprano is currently a member of the soloist ensemble at the Staatsoper in Berlin and has won prizes in several international singing competitions. Her repertoire is already strikingly broad, encompassing some twenty opera roles alongside a wealth of art songs and oratorios.
From the jury’s citation: “In fiercely competitive circumstances, 26-year-old mezzo-soprano Rebecka Wallroth has already made a brilliant name for herself on Europe's opera stages. She is awarded the Mogren Music Prize 2026 for a vocal artistry marked by profound musicality, brilliant technique, stylistic assurance and artistic radiance. She impresses with her stage presence, spatial and physical intuition, and her ability to bring characters to life in a dynamic and authentic way. We predict a magnificent future for her.”
The Mogren Music Prize 2026 will be presented on 27 May at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm.
Images are available free for publication here. Photographer: Abraham Engelmark.
About
Mogrenstiftelsen
The Mogren Foundation annually awards two prizes for and in the service of human wellbeing. One in medicine and one in classical music, with the aim of promoting education and research. The Music Prize is awarded to recently graduated musicians who have just embarked on their professional careers, whilst the Medicine Prize goes to practising clinicians who place great emphasis on empathy and patient contact.
The nomination committee for the Mogren Music Prize comprises Tobias Theorell, Director of Opera at the Royal Swedish Opera and Chair of the committee; Elin Rombo, opera singer; Magnus Svensson, pianist; and Tobias Ringborg, conductor and violinist.
The Foundation's donor and founder was Håkan Mogren, 1944–2021, a Swedish engineer and business leader. Håkan Mogren worked principally in the food and pharmaceutical industries, including as Chief Executive of Astra and later as a board member of AstraZeneca. In 2012, he established the Mogren Foundation to advance development within his two great passions: music and medicine.
Håkan Mogren passed away on 10 December 2021.
About
Rebecka Wallroth
Rebecka Wallroth is a mezzo-soprano who grew up in Södermalm, Stockholm. She began her singing career in the Adolf Fredrik Music Classes and was a child chorister at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm.
At the age of 16, she left home to study at the Music Conservatoire in Falun under Anita Soldh, and subsequently at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna.
She now lives in Berlin and is a member of the soloist ensemble at the Staatsoper in Berlin, with roles including Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro (Mozart), Stéphano in Roméo et Juliette (Gounod), Der Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos and Carlotta in Die schweigsame Frau (Richard Strauss). The season 25/26 opened with Idamante in Calixto Bieito's new production of Mozart's Idomeneo at the Prague State Opera.
Her repertoire is already strikingly broad, encompassing some twenty opera roles alongside a wealth of art songs and oratorios.
In 2022, she won first prize in both the Gesangwettbewerb Ferruccio Tagliavini and the Hans Staud Musikpreis and was further recognised with prizes at the Queen Sonja International Singing Competition and the Wilhelm Stenhammar International Music Competition.
For more information, please contact
Rebecka Wallroth, rebecka99wallroth@gmail.com, +46 70-661 03 88
Tobias Theorell, Chair of the nomination committee for the Mogren Music Prize, tobias.theorell@operan.se, +46 70–849 15 33
Fabian Mogren, Permanent Secretary of the Mogren Foundation, +46 70-844 94 23, fabian.mogren@mogrenstiftelsen.se
