Barbara Hannigan (born 8 May 1971)[ "Sagen Sie jetzt nichts, Barbara Hannigan" , Süddeutsche Zeitung, 8 March 2018 ] is a Canadian soprano and Conducting known for her performances of contemporary classical music.
Education
Hannigan's initial musical education came from music teachers in her hometown of Waverley, Nova Scotia, in Halifax.
After growing up in Waverley, Hannigan moved to Toronto at the age of 17.
Career
Hannigan is known for her performances of contemporary music. Her advocacy of contemporary music began in her youth, and she sang her first world premiere at the age of 17. , she had premiered approximately 75 contemporary compositions.
These include
Written on Skin by George Benjamin (2017),
by Gerald Barry (2007)
by
Hans Abrahamsen,
(2022),
Starcatcher (2022), and several other works by John Zorn.
She gave the world premiere of Golfam Khayam’s
Je ne suis pas une fable à conter for voice and orchestra in June 2023.
Hannigan is particularly 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.[Trochimczyk, Maja, " Writing to Vermeer: A View of a 'Filmic' Opera" (Chapter 12), from The Music of Louis Andriessen (Maja Trochimczyk, editor). Routledge (Taylor & Francis, New York City), p. 259 ().] Gerald Barry's The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant[ Die Soldaten , performance details, Bavarian State Opera] For her performance as Marie, she won the 2015 Der Faust (award) in Germany.
Hannigan regularly performs in concert as both soprano and conductor.
In 2019, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (GSO) named Hannigan its Principal Guest Conductor.
Honors and awards
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Personalité Musicale de l'Année (Musical Personality of the Year) (Syndicat de la Presse Française – 2012
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Singer of the Year Opernwelt – 2013
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Grammy Award – Best Solo Classical Album for Crazy Girl Crazy - 2018
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Ehrenpreise, Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik – 2018
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Rolf Schock Prize in the Musical Arts – 2018 The jury commented: "Hannigan is an extraordinary and innovative performer with a dynamic and intensive approach to the music she performs, often pure virtuoso stage interpretations, in which she often simultaneously assumes both the role of soloist and conductor. Her repertoire covers an impressive field, with great interest in new music. For a number of years she has also run a unique mentoring project, Equilibrium Young Artists, which focuses on young and newly professional musicians around the world."
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Léonie Sonning Music Prize – 2020.
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Dresden Musik Festspiele Preis – 2020
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Officier des Arts et des Lettres – 2022
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Grammophon Artist of the Year – 2022
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Musical America Artist of the Year 2025
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Polar Music Prize Laureate 2025
Memberships
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Member of the Order of Canada (CM), one of Canada's highest civilian honours – 2016
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Foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.
Positions held
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Principal Guest Conductor of Göteborgs Symfoniker (2019 - present)
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Première Artiste Invitée of Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France (2022 - present)
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Associate Artist of London Symphony Orchestra (2022 - present)
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Principal Guest Conductor of Lausanne Chamber Orchestra (starting in 2024-25)
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Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of Iceland Symphony Orchestra (starting in August 2026)
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Reinbert de Leeuw Professor of Music at Royal Academy of Music London (2023 – present)
Recordings
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Henri Dutilleux: Correspondances for soprano and orchestra, conducted Esa-Pekka Salonen, Deutsche Grammophon 2012 – world premiere recording with ending rewritten by the composer for Hannigan, Gramophone Award Contemporary, 2013
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Louis Andriessen's Writing to Vermeer (Nonesuch)
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Luca Francesconi (Kairos)
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Harry Freedman (Centrediscs)
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Hans Abrahamsen: let me tell you for soprano and orchestra, text by Paul Griffiths, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Andris Nelsons conductor, Winter & Winter, 2016 – Awards: 2016 Grawemeyer Award (Music Composition);
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Eric Satie: Socrate with pianist Reinbert de Leeuw, Winter & Winter, 2016
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Crazy Girl Crazy:
[ "Junos 2018: the complete list of winners" . CBC News, 25 March 2018]
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Alban Berg's Lulu (Bel Air Classiques), 2014.
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George Benjamin's Written on Skin, 2014.
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Stravinsky, London Symphony Orchestra, 2017 (LSO Live label). Conducted by Simon Rattle, performing Alban Berg's Three Fragments from Wozzeck and Gyorgy Ligeti's Mysteries of the Macabre.
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La Passione, Ludwig Orchestra (Alpha Classics)
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Dance with me, Ludwig Orchestra (Alpha Classics)
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Sehnsucht (Live in Rotterdam), (Alpha Classics) Raoul Steffani, Camerata Romeu, Rolf Verbeek
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Infinite Voyage (Alpha Classics), Bertrand Chamayou, Emerson String Quartet,
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Messiaen (Alpha Classics) , Bertrand Chamayou,
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Hannigan Sings Zorn Volume One (Tzadik), Stephan Gosling (pianist), 2024
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Hannigan Sings Zorn Volume Two (Tzadik), Stephan Gosling (pianist), Ikue Mori (electronics), Jorge Roeder (bass), Ches Smith (drums), Jay Campbell (cello), Sae Hashimoto (vibraphone), Chris Otto (violin), John Pickford Richards (viola), Austin Wulliman (violin), 202
DVDs
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Accentus Music's documentary I'm a creative animal, produced at Lucerne Festival in 2014 where she was Artiste Etoile,
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Canadees Podiumdier (NTR 2014)
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C'est presque au bout du monde, a short film by Mathieu Amalric.
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2014: Lulu (Bel Air Classiques), Alban Berg.
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George Benjamin : Lessons in Love and Violence, Royal Opera House, Katie Mitchell (Opus Arte)
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George Benjamin : Written on Skin, Royal Opera House, Katie Mitchell (Opus Arte)
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Brett Dean: Hamlet, Glyndebourne, (Opus Arte) 2018.
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Bartók: La Voix Humaine, Paris Opera (Arthaus Musik) 2018.
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Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress and Taking Risks: Un documentaire de Maria Stodtmeier, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (Accentus Music), 2020.
Personal life
Hannigan was previously married to Dutch theatre director
Gijs de Lange.
Since 2017, she has lived in Paris, France.
From 2015 to 2024, she was in a long-term relationship with French actor
Mathieu Amalric.
External links
