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Barbara Hannigan

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Barbara Hannigan
CM
Barbara Hannigan, 2024
Born8 May 1971 (1971-05-08) (age 54)
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Occupations
Years active1988–present
Websitebarbarahannigan.com

Barbara Hannigan CM (born 8 May 1971)[1] is a Canadian soprano and conductor known for her performances of contemporary classical music.[2] In 2025, she received the Polar Music Prize.[3]

Early life and education

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Hannigan is from Waverley, Nova Scotia.[2] She moved to Toronto at the age of 17.[4]

She graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Music degree in 1993 and a Master of Music degree in 1998.[5][6] She continued her studies at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity,[7] the Steans Institute for Young Artists at the Ravinia Festival,[8] and the Centre d'arts Orford.[9] She also studied for one year at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague.[7]

Career

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Hannigan is known for her performances of contemporary music. She sang her first world premiere at the age of 17.[10] As of 2023, she has premiered approximately 85 contemporary compositions.[10] These include Written on Skin by George Benjamin (2017);[11] La plus forte by Gerald Barry (2007);[12] let me tell you by Hans Abrahamsen;[13] Split the Lark (2022) and [citation needed] Star Catcher (2022)[14] by John Zorn;[citation needed] and Je ne suis pas une fable à conter (2023) by Golfam Khayam.[15]

Hannigan is noted for her performances of György Ligeti's Mysteries of the Macabre (a concert version of a scene from his opera Le Grand Macabre); in 2011 she began to conduct the work in addition to singing the vocal part.[16] Her work in contemporary opera has included singing in the premieres of Louis Andriessen's Writing to Vermeer,[17] Gerald Barry's The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant[18] and The Importance of Being Earnest,[19] Jan van de Putte's Wet Snow,[citation needed] and Kris Defoort's House of the Sleeping Beauties.[citation needed] She has worked with choreographer Sasha Waltz on productions of Toshio Hosokawa's Matsukaze and Pascal Dusapin's Passion.[20][21] Hannigan received critical acclaim for her performance in Alban Berg's Lulu, which included dancing en pointe.[22] In 2014, Hannigan sang the role of Marie in Bernd Alois Zimmermann's opera Die Soldaten at the Bavarian State Opera.[23] For her performance as Marie, she won the 2015 Der Faust award.[24][25]

Hannigan regularly performs in concert as both a soprano and conductor.[26] She has worked with the Berlin Philharmonic,[27] Munich Philharmonic,[28] London Symphony Orchestra,[29] Toronto Symphony Orchestra,[30] Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France,[31] Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra,[32] Prague Philharmonic,[citation needed] Mahler Chamber Orchestra,[33] Avanti! Chamber Orchestra,[34] Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia,[35] Britten Sinfonia,[36] Gulbenkian Orchestra,[37] Cleveland Orchestra,[38] Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra,[39] Copenhagen Philharmonic,[40] Montreal Symphony Orchestra,[41] and Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne.[42] She won the 2014 Ovatie award for her performance as soprano and conductor at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam with the Ludwig Orchestra.[43]

In 2019, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (GSO) named Hannigan its principal guest conductor.[44] In December 2023, the GSO announced that her contract has been extended until the 2027–2028 season.[45] She was the Première Artiste Invitée of the Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France for three seasons starting in 2022.[46] Hannigan first guest-conducted the Iceland Symphony Orchestra in 2022.[47] In May 2024, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra named her its next chief conductor and artistic director, for a three-year term beginning in 2026.[48] She is also the Associate Artist of the London Symphony Orchestra[49] and principal guest conductor of the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne.[50]

She is a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.[51] In 2026 she was named a recipient of the National Arts Centre Award.[52]

Honors and awards

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Positions held

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Recordings

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DVDs

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  • Canadees Podiumdier (NTR, 2014)[89]
  • Lulu (Bel Air Classiques, 2014)
  • Written on Skin (Opus Arte, 2014)[90]
  • I'm a creative animal (Accentus Music, 2015)[91]
  • C'est presque au bout du monde (3e Scène, 2015)[92]
  • Hamlet (Opus Arte, 2018)[93]
  • La Voix Humaine (Arthaus Musik, 2018)[94]
  • Lessons in Love and Violence (Opus Arte, 2019)[95]
  • The Rake's Progress and Taking Risks (Accentus Music, 2020)[96]

Personal life

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Hannigan was married to Dutch theatre director Gijs de Lange [nl] until 2015.[97][98] Since 2017, she has lived in Paris.[99] From 2015 to 2024,[citation needed] she was in a relationship with French actor Mathieu Amalric.[100]

References

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  1. ^ "Die Sopranistin Barbara Hannigan im Interview ohne Worte". Süddeutsche.de (in German). 8 March 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  2. ^ a b Ivan Hewett (25 September 2011). "Barbara Hannigan: 'You must go all the way'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 9 October 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Barbara Hannigan". Polar Music Prize. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  4. ^ King, Betty Nygaard (28 July 2016). "Barbara Hannigan". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  5. ^ "Alumna Barbara Hannigan to lead Iceland Symphony Orchestra". U of T Music. 29 May 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  6. ^ Macdonald, Cynthia (10 June 2004). "Barbara Hannigan". U of T Magazine. University of Toronto. Archived from the original on 30 September 2018.
  7. ^ a b Bua, Jane; Seibert, Brian; Shaw, Helen; Pearce, Sheldon; Brody, Richard; Wilson, Jennifer (6 December 2024). "The Vibrant Abandon of Barbara Hannigan". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  8. ^ Grant, Taylor (5 February 2019). "Conductor and soprano Barbara Hannigan awarded Denmark's €100,000 Léonie Sonning prize". MusicalAmerica.com. Retrieved 26 February 2026 – via Symphony.org.
  9. ^ "L'Opéra, Une Expérience Libératrice" (PDF). Revue L'Opéra. No. 32. 2023.
  10. ^ a b Game, Daisy (27 February 2023). "Visions of Heaven: in conversation with conductor Barbara Hannigan". The Bath Magazine. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  11. ^ Ashley, Tim (15 January 2017). "Written on Skin review – Hannigan is spellbinding in parable of beauty and violence". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  12. ^ "La Plus Forte". Schott Music. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  13. ^ McCarthy, James (20 December 2013). "Soprano of our time: Barbara Hannigan". Gramophone. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  14. ^ "Barbara Hannigan in the World Premiere of John Zorn's »Star Catcher«". Lausitz Festival. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  15. ^ "Barbara Hannigan donne vie à 'Je ne suis pas une fable à conter' de Golfam Khayam". France Musique (in French). 20 October 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  16. ^ Apthorp, Shirley (23 September 2011). "In the premiere league". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 26 September 2011.
  17. ^ Trochimczyk, Maja (10 May 2002). "Writing to Vermeer: A View of a 'Filmic' Opera". In Trochimczyk, Maja (ed.). Music of Louis Andriessen. Routledge. doi:10.4324/9780203823118. ISBN 978-0-429-23735-5.
  18. ^ Service, Tom (16 September 2005). "'The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 February 2014.
  19. ^ Clements, Andrew (27 April 2012). "The Importance of Being Earnest – review". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 November 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  20. ^ Hannigan, Barbara (December 2014). "Creative moves" (PDF). Opera Canada. pp. 22–26. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2015.
  21. ^ "Barbara Hannigan". Opéra national de Paris. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  22. ^ Loomis, George (23 October 2012). "One 'Lulu' Has Little New to Say, While Another Can Do No Wrong". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 18 December 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  23. ^ "Die Soldaten". Bayerische Staatsoper (in German). Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  24. ^ "Der Faust 2015". Deutscher Bühnenverein (in German). Archived from the original on 25 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  25. ^ "Barbara Hannigan wins 2015 DER FAUST Award". HarrisonParrott. 16 November 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  26. ^ Oestreich, James R. (19 August 2014). "Barbara Hannigan Sings and Conducts at the Lucerne Festival". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2 April 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  27. ^ "Andris Nelsons and Barbara Hannigan". Digital Concert Hall. 21 December 2013. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  28. ^ Rundfunk, Bayerischer (24 January 2025). "Barbara Hannigan in München: Multitasking auf der Bühne". BR-Klassik (in German). Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  29. ^ Bridle, Marc (September 2023). "From Darkness to Light: Barbara Hannigan opens the LSO's new season at the Barbican". Opera Today. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  30. ^ Crawford, Trish (5 October 2015). "Barbara Hannigan to sing while conducting in TSO gig". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 16 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  31. ^ "Barbara Hannigan à la tête de l'Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France". France Musique (in French). 26 October 2017. Archived from the original on 16 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  32. ^ "Barbara Hannigan and Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra in the world premiere of The White Book". Mynewsdesk (in Swedish). 9 January 2026. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  33. ^ Batschelet, Sarah (18 August 2014). "Barbara Hannigan: What the Hell is Going On?". bachtrack.com. Archived from the original on 5 April 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  34. ^ Everett-Green, Robert (27 February 2015). "Soprano Barbara Hannigan and a career built on fearless performances". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  35. ^ Frantellizzi, Sabine (7 April 2024). "Roma, Barbara Hannigan direttrice e soprano all'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia". La Musica Classica in Italia. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  36. ^ Anderson, Colin (6 May 2015). "Barbara Hannigan conducts and sings with the Britten Sinfonia – Haydn (La Passione), Mozart (Idomeneo, La clemenza di Tito) and Stravinsky (The Rake's Progress, Pulcinella)". The Classical Source. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  37. ^ Service, Tom (14 March 2013). "Hannigan: 'Where's the crazy stuff?'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  38. ^ Lewis, Zachary (9 February 2026). "Barbara Hannigan conducts Crumb, Gershwin and more with Cleveland Orchestra this weekend". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  39. ^ "Barbara Hannigan". Festival Ravel. 20 May 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  40. ^ "Hannigan og Zarathustra". Copenhagen Phil (in Danish). Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  41. ^ "Back-to-back nights with the great Barbara Hannigan". The Montrealer. 19 January 2026. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  42. ^ "Barbara Hannigan et l'Orchestre de chambre de Lausanne célèbrent la musique iranienne". RTS (in French). 6 March 2025. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  43. ^ "LUDWIG wint De Ovatie 2014". Concertgebouw. 20 July 2014. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  44. ^ a b "Barbara Hannigan". Göteborgs Symfoniker. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  45. ^ "Barbara Hannigan förlänger samarbetet med Göteborgs Symfoniker till 2028". Göteborgs Symfoniker (in Swedish). 22 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  46. ^ Lopez, Louis-Valentin (4 April 2022). "Barbara Hannigan nommée 'Première artiste invitée' de l'Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France". France Musique (in French). Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  47. ^ "Barbara Hannigan ráðin aðalhljómsveitarstjóri og listrænn stjórnandi Sinfóníuhljómsveitar Íslands" (Press release). Iceland Symphony Orchestra. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  48. ^ Hernández, Javier C. (15 May 2024). "Barbara Hannigan, Daring Singer and Maestro, to Lead Iceland Symphony". The New York Times. Vol. 173, no. 60158. p. C6. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  49. ^ a b "Barbara Hannigan". London Symphony Orchestra. 11 February 2026. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  50. ^ a b "Barbara Hannigan". Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne – OCL (in French). Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  51. ^ "Ledamöter". Kungl. Musikaliska Akademien (in Swedish). Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  52. ^ a b Thompson, Nicole (12 February 2026). "Barbara Hannigan, James Cameron win Governor General's Performing Arts Awards". Times Colonist. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  53. ^ "Barbara Hannigan survole les prix de la critique". Diapason Mag. 24 June 2013. Archived from the original on 16 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  54. ^ Merschmeier, Michael (17 January 2017). "Kritikerumfragen Opernwelt". Der Theaterverlag (in German). Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  55. ^ "Olympians, jurists, researchers among 113 new appointments to Order of Canada". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 30 June 2016. Archived from the original on 2 July 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  56. ^ "Governor General Announces 113 New Appointments to the Order of Canada Français". Newswire Canada. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  57. ^ "Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 150, Number 28: GOVERNMENT HOUSE". Government of Canada. 9 July 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  58. ^ "Barbara Hannigan | Artist". GRAMMY.com. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  59. ^ "Ehrenpreise 2018". Schallplattenkritik (in German). Archived from the original on 16 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  60. ^ "A mathematician, a logician, a soloist and an Italian avant-gardist are awarded the Rolf Schock Prizes 2018". The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. 15 March 2018. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  61. ^ "Barbara Hannigan awarded the Léonie Sonning music prize 2020". Léonie Sonnings Musikpris. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  62. ^ "Barbara Hannigan erhält Preis der Dresdner Musikfestspiele". Radiodresden.de (in German). 10 March 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  63. ^ "Barbara Hannigan". Maison de la radio et de la Musique (in French). Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  64. ^ "Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2022". Gramophone. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  65. ^ Fonseca-Wollheim, Corinna da (2025). "Artist of the Year: Barbara Hannigan". MusicalAmerica. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  66. ^ "Barbara Hannigan, première artiste invitée à l'Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France". Diapason (in French). 3 October 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  67. ^ "Barbara Hannigan appointed Reinbert de Leeuw Professor of Music". Royal Academy of Music. 1 June 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  68. ^ "Barbara Hannigan appointed Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra". Iceland Symphony Orchestra. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  69. ^ Smith, Steve (29 June 2008). "Classical Recordings: Of Minimalism, Avant-Garde and Beethoven's Sonatas". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  70. ^ Bartley, Wendalyn (30 January 2015). "Barbara Hannigan – Being the Music". The Whole Note. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  71. ^ Butterweck, Kim (24 November 2015). "Abrahamsen wins music award for let me tell you". Grawemeyer Awards. Archived from the original on 6 December 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  72. ^ "Preis für Barbara Hannigan und Das BR-Symphonieorchester". BR Klassik (in German). 24 November 2015. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  73. ^ "Palmarès des Diapason d'Or 2016". France Musique (in French). 23 November 2016. Archived from the original on 16 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  74. ^ "Winnaars Edison Klassiek 2016 Bekend". Edisons (in Dutch). 27 November 2016. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  75. ^ Molleson, Kate (5 May 2016). "Barbara Hannigan/Satie: Socrate CD review – artful, intimate confessionals". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  76. ^ "Crazy Girl Crazy". Outthere Music.
  77. ^ "Winners Best Classical Vocal Performance". GRAMMY awards. 28 January 2018. Archived from the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  78. ^ "Junos 2018: the complete list of winners" Archived 17 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine. CBC News, 25 March 2018
  79. ^ "Winner 2018 Juno Award: Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral". JUNO Awards. 25 March 2018. Archived from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  80. ^ Tommasini, Anthony; Oestreich, James R.; Allen, David; Walls, Seth Colter; Barone, Joshua (23 August 2016). "The 25 Best Classical Music Recordings of 2017". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 25 December 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  81. ^ Hewett, Ivan (16 January 2015). "Simon Rattle with Barbara Hannigan and London Symphony Orchestra, Barbican, review: 'in his element'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  82. ^ "La Passione". Outhere-music.com. 20 March 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  83. ^ "Dance With Me". Outhere-music.com. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  84. ^ "Sehnsucht (Live in Rotterdam) | Linn Records". Linnrecords.com. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  85. ^ "Emerson String Quartet – Infinite Voyage (CD) – jpc". Jpc.de (in German). Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  86. ^ "Olivier Messiaen: Lieder (CD) – jpc". Jpc.de (in German). Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  87. ^ "John Zorn – Hannigan Sings Zorn Volume One | RECORD STORE DAY". Recordstoreday.com. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  88. ^ "Welcome to Tzadik". Tzadik.com. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  89. ^ "Canadees Podiumdier". NTR Podium (in Dutch). 30 March 2014. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  90. ^ "Benjamin, G: Written on Skin". Presto Music. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  91. ^ "Barbara Hannigan // Concert & Documentary". ACCENTUS Music. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  92. ^ "C'est presque au bout du monde". Opéra de Paris 3e Scene. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  93. ^ "Brett Dean: Hamlet". Presto Music. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  94. ^ "Poulenc: Le Voix Humaine & Bartók: Duke Bluebeard's Castle". Presto Music. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  95. ^ OCLC 1125950476
  96. ^ "Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress: and Taking Risks: A documentary by Maria Stodtmeier". Presto Music. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  97. ^ Lemke-Matwey, Christine (26 May 2016). "Sie kann, was sie will". Zeit Online (in German). Archived from the original on 8 May 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  98. ^ Lawrence, Ben (17 September 2017). "Barbara Hannigan interview: 'I serve the music, not the audience'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  99. ^ Apthorp, Shirley (31 May 2019). "Soprano Barbara Hannigan: 'I like the alchemy of the rehearsal room'". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 20 September 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  100. ^ Barone, Joshua (11 October 2019). "The Unsingable Music That Stumped a Diva". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
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