Barbara Hannigan (born 1971, Waverley, Nova Scotia) is a Canadian soprano and conductor who has given world premieres of nearly 100 contemporary works, collaborating with composers from Boulez and Ligeti to George Benjamin and John Zorn. She made her conducting debut in 2011 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris and regularly performs both roles in the same concert. In 2025 she received the Polar Music Prize, and from 2026 she serves as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.
Hannigan was named a recipient of the National Arts Centre Award in 2026.
Hannigan began her tenure as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra in August 2026.
Hannigan received the 2025 Polar Music Prize at a ceremony in Stockholm on May 27, 2025, alongside Queen and Herbie Hancock.
Hannigan premiered The White Book, a new work for soprano and orchestra by Laura Bowler based on Nobel laureate Han Kang's novel, co-commissioned by the LSO, Gothenburg Symphony and Copenhagen Philharmonic.
Hannigan was named Musical America's Artist of the Year for 2025 and made her New York Philharmonic conducting debut performing Poulenc's La Voix humaine.
concert19:00Barbara Hannigan performs Ligeti's "Mysteries of the Macabre" alongside works by Liadov, Vivier, and Bartók. A theatrical concert about the end of the world, mysteries, and human passion.
concert18:00Barbara Hannigan leads a programme exploring Arnold Schönberg and his contemporaries, featuring works by Schönberg, Hindemith, Schreker, and the Khayam sisters.
opera18:00Poulenc's one-act opera La voix humaine with soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. The evening includes pre-concert socializing and live music in the foyer.
opera19:00Richard Strauss and Poulenc in one evening: Metamorfoser for 23 string instruments followed by La voix humaine, where Barbara Hannigan simultaneously sings, conducts and acts.
concertBarbara Hannigan sings Messiaen and Zorn alongside pianist Bertrand Chamayou and composer George Benjamin in an experimental classical programme at Berwaldhallen.
concert(2 days)
George Benjamin conducts a programme featuring pianist Bertrand Chamayou and soprano Barbara Hannigan, spanning works by Ravel, Sibelius, Unsuk Chin, and Benjamin's own composition.