Barbara Hannigan

Embodying music with an unparalleled dramatic sensibility, soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan is an artist at the forefront of creation. Her artistic colleagues include Simon Rattle, Sasha Waltz, Kent Nagano, Vladimir Jurowski, John Zorn, Andreas Kriegenburg, Andris Nelsons, Esa Pekka Salonen, Christoph Marthaler, Antonio Pappano, Katie Mitchell, Kirill Petrenko, and Krszysztof Warlikowski.

As a singer and conductor the Canadian musician has shown a profound commitment to the music of our time and has given the world première performances of over 85 new creations. Hannigan has collaborated extensively with composers including Boulez, Zorn, Dutilleux, Ligeti, Stockhausen, Sciarrino, Barry, Dusapin, Dean, Benjamin and Abrahamsen.

Last season marked the beginning of her Principal Guest conductor role at Gothenburg Symphony. She also had conducting and singing engagements with London Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Münchner Philharmoniker, and was artist in residence at Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. Hannigan also premièred the role of Gerda in Bayerische Staatsoper’s production of Hans Abrahamsen’s The Snow Queen.

For the 2020-21 season, Hannigan will continue her collaboration with the Gothenburg Symphony and Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. She will also conduct Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, LUDWIG and the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, as well as tour with the London Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle. She will return to the Bayerische Staatsoper to reprise her role of Gerda in The Snow Queen, will sing and conduct Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine, and give the world premiere of Gerald Barry’s new opera Salome.

Hannigan’s album as both singer and conductor, Crazy Girl Crazy (2017), won the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal album. Other recent albums include Vienna: fin de siècle, and Satie’s Socrate, both with pianist Reinbert de Leeuw. In spring 2020 she released her latest album on Alpha Classics, La Passionewith works of Nono, Haydn and Grisey.

In 2020 Barbara launched Momentum: Our Future, Now, a major international initiative driven by leading artists supporting younger colleagues. She also continues her acclaimed work with Equilibrium Young Artists mentoring initiative, which she launched in 2017. May 2021 will see Hannigan awarded the prestigious Léonie Sonning Music Prize.