Barbara Hannigan is an internationally acclaimed Canadian soprano, conductor and curator, celebrated for her exceptional dramatic artistry, fearless musical curiosity and innovative approach to programming. Moving freely between singing and conducting, she creates performances that connect established masterpieces with rarely heard works and new music.

Over more than three decades, Hannigan has developed artistic partnerships with leading musicians, composers, directors and choreographers, including Simon Rattle, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Vladimir Jurowski, Kirill Petrenko, Romeo Castellucci, Katie Mitchell and Krzysztof Warlikowski. She has premiered more than 120 new works, collaborating with composers such as Hans Abrahamsen, George Benjamin, György Ligeti, Pierre Boulez and John Zorn.

Her acclaimed operatic roles include Lulu, Mélisande, Marie in Die Soldaten, Agnes in Written on Skin and La Voix Humaine. She has also gained international recognition for her award-winning recordings, including Crazy Girl Crazy, which received a Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album.

In the 2026/27 season, Hannigan begins her tenure as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, bringing her distinctive spirit of discovery and collaboration to the ensemble. She continues her work with major orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, alongside performances with leading orchestras across Europe.

Her season also includes a conducting debut with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra in La Mer, a project with Scapino Ballet in which she will sing, conduct and dance. She continues touring her production of Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine and her recital partnership with pianist Bertrand Chamayou, featuring works by Messiaen, Scriabin and Zorn.

A passionate advocate for the next generation of musicians, Hannigan founded Equilibrium Young Artists and Momentum: Our Future Now, and continues to mentor emerging artists through masterclasses and her role as Reinbert de Leeuw Professor of Music at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Her numerous honours include the 2026 Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, 2025 Polar Music Prize, 2025 Musical America Artist of the Year, the Order of Canada, Gramophone’s Artist of the Year, and the Léonie Sonning Music Prize.