Role

:

Conductor  

Birth

:

May 8, 1971 in Waverley, Nova Scotia

Genre

:

Avant-Garde

 

 

Vocal

 

Barbara Hannigan is a Canadian soprano and conductor who has made a name for herself in the classical music world for her unique and versatile voice, as well as her innovative approach to performance and interpretation. Born on May 8, 1971, in Waverley, Nova Scotia, Hannigan grew up in a musical family and began singing at a young age. She studied at the University of Toronto and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, where she received a Bachelor of Music degree in 1993. Hannigan's career as a professional singer began in the mid-1990s, when she joined the Canadian Opera Company as a member of the ensemble. She quickly gained recognition for her powerful and expressive voice, as well as her ability to tackle a wide range of repertoire, from Baroque to contemporary music. In 1998, she made her European debut at the Salzburg Festival, where she performed in a production of Mozart's "Don Giovanni" conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Over the next decade, Hannigan established herself as one of the most sought-after sopranos of her generation, performing with leading orchestras and conductors around the world. She made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 2002, singing the role of Agnès in George Benjamin's "Written on Skin," a work that would become one of her signature pieces. She also appeared at the Royal Opera House in London, the Paris Opera, the Berlin State Opera, and the Bavarian State Opera, among others. One of the highlights of Hannigan's career as a singer was her collaboration with the composer and conductor Pierre Boulez, who became a mentor and friend to her. She worked with Boulez on several occasions, including a production of his opera "Pli selon pli" at the Lucerne Festival in 2009, which was hailed as a triumph. Boulez praised Hannigan's ability to "combine the highest level of vocal virtuosity with an extraordinary sense of musicality and intelligence." In addition to her work as a singer, Hannigan has also become known as a conductor in recent years. She began conducting in 2011, when she led a performance of Ligeti's "Mysteries of the Macabre" with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra in Sweden. Since then, she has conducted a number of orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. She has also conducted several operas, including Stravinsky's "The Rake's Progress" at the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence in 2018. Hannigan's approach to conducting is informed by her experience as a singer, and she has been praised for her ability to bring out the best in the musicians she works with. She has also been a champion of contemporary music, and has premiered works by composers such as Hans Abrahamsen, Gerald Barry, and Unsuk Chin. Throughout her career, Hannigan has received numerous awards and accolades for her work as a singer and conductor. In 2013, she was awarded the Order of Canada, one of the country's highest honors, for her contributions to the arts. She has also been awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society's Singer Award, the ECHO Klassik Award, and the Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album, among others. One of the most memorable performances of Hannigan's career took place in 2018, when she sang and conducted a program of music by the composer and conductor Oliver Knussen at the BBC Proms in London.

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