Musical America Artist of the Year 

Barbara Hannigan has been named Musical America's Artist of the Year. The news was announcement this morning, November 20th: 

Musical America: 

As an internationally acclaimed soprano, Barbara Hannigan is justly famous for championing cutting-edge composers from György Ligeti to George Benjamin. Raised on choral singing and her father’s Billy Joel and Pavarotti cassettes in Nova Scotia, she established herself early on as an artist of ferocious curiosity. These days, however, she’s more often to be found on the podium, pushing new boundaries as a thought-provoking conductor. A series of high-level appointments and groundbreaking performances have catapulted her to the top of her profession, as she redefines what it is to be a musician.

In a personal message on her social media, Hannigan commented: 

"Thank you so much, Musical America, for honouring me as 2025 Artist of the Year!

I appreciate this recognition, and am honoured to join the list of artists who have received this award before me, many of whom are my heroes!

Thank you to my colleagues on and offstage, my teachers and mentors, and also our audiences for coming out to hear the varied musical repertoire about which I am passionate!" 

Musical America is North America's oldest music-industry magazine, with its first print issue in 1898. The first Musical America Artist of the Year award-winner was Leonard Bernstein in 1961, making Barbara Hannigan the 64th Annual award-winner in 2025. Hannigan is proud to be added to a list of laureates that includes Igor Stravinsky (1963), Jessye Norman (1982), Martha Argerich (2001), Esa-Pekka Salonen (2006) and 58 other respected musicians over the past 64 years.

For additional information, please see Musical America's official announcement here. 

North American Tour with Bertrand Chamayou

Following their recent ‘Messiaen’ album release on Alpha Classics and a European concert tour of Messiaen, Scriabin and Zorn, the international press has praised Hannigan and Chamayou’s collaboration as one of “two artists who are in perfect harmony” (Musik An Sich) a “providential encounter between works and their performers” (On-Mag) and a “golden duo” (De Volkskrant). About the recital program, Hannigan notes:

“This unique recital takes us on a spiritual path, beginning with Messiaen's youthful and ecstatic songs in praise of heaven and earth, through the deep mysticism of Scriabin, and culminating in the epic virtuosity of John Zorn's ‘Jumalattaret’, a work drawing its inspiration from Finnish goddesses of the Kalevala. For Bertrand and I, it is truly a "trip" to perform this transcendent music together, and we love bringing our audiences with us on this journey.”

- Barbara Hannigan

This will be the first time in seven years that the multi-award-winning Canadian singer tours the US and Canada with a recital program. Furthermore, the tour includes both artists' debut concerts in five of the ten cities: Vancouver, Victoria, San Diego, Rochester and Ottawa.

In combination with the recital tour, Barbara Hannigan will be giving vocal masterclasses. As the Founder of Equilibrium Young Artists and the Reinbert de Leeuw Professor of Music at the Royal Academy of Music in London, Hannigan is committed to and inspired by working with younger artists. Bertrand Chamayou will join her on some of the dates and give his Masterclasses in Montreál, Victoria and Rochester.

The programme:
Olivier Messiaen: Chants de terre et de ciel (1938)

Alexander Scriabin: Poème-nocturne, Op. 61 (1911/12)

Alexander Scriabin: Vers la flamme, Op. 72 (1914)

John Zorn: Jumalattaret (2012)

About the Repertoire:
Messiaen's vocal writing is rich with complex rhythms, vibrant colors, and mystical themes, creating an ethereal and contemplative atmosphere. The song cycle Chants de terre et de ciel glistens with hope and ends with an ecstatic song of praise. As the German magazine Rondo noted in their 5-star review, “Hannigan intones these earthly and heavenly songs, sometimes with a heavy burden, sometimes free as a bird. Her immaculate idiom is always beguiling, delicately embedded in Chamayou's shimmering piano flow. The songs are preciously set like pearls, each song joining the next to form a chain of musical art.”

Scriabin's piano music is fiercely dramatic, brimming with sensuous textures, innovative harmonies, and a sense of transcendence. Toward the end of his life, when Scriabin composed - and premiered - Vers la flamme (‘Towards the flame’), he believed a "fire storm" was supposed to form the delirious climax of a musical experience and lead people to release. It is with this in mind that the poème Vers la flamme is interpreted and heard, from the sweeping arc of suspense at its restrained beginning, to its acoustically powerful and fiery conclusion.

Zorn's Jumalattaret is a genre-defying avant-garde masterpiece. Using fragments of texts from the epic Kalevala poetry, it is a song cycle in praise of nine Finnish Goddesses out of Sámi Shamanism. The music moves from lyrical folk-like simplicity to virtuosic pyrotechnics for both performers. Describing the piece, Joshua Barone wrote in The New York Times: “...each measure is a minefield of intonation and technique. Yet between these passages is also astonishing beauty, even the sublime: rending melodies fit for lullabies, ethereal humming that hovers delicately, like a visiting spirit.”

The Tour Dates

Nov 26, 2024: Montréal, Canada - Bourgie Hall

Nov 28, 2024: Toronto, Canada - Koerner Hall

Nov 30, 2024: Vancouver, Canada - The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts

Dec 2, 2024: Victoria, Canada - McPherson Playhouse

Dec 5, 2024: San Diego, USA - The Baker-Baum Concert Hall

Dec 8, 2024: Rochester, USA - Kilbourn Hall

Dec 10, 2024: Philadelphia, USA - Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center

Dec 12, 2024: New York City, USA - Park Avenue Armory - sold out

Dec 14, 2024: Ottawa, Canada - National Arts Centre, Southam Hall

Dec 16, 2024: Washington DC, USA - Library of Congress, Coolidge Auditorium - sold out

MASTERCLASSES SCHEDULE:

• ●  25 November 2024
  Masterclasses by Barbara Hannigan & Bertrand Chamayou at the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts’ Bourgie Hall - more information

• ●  27 November 2024
  Masterclasses by Barbara Hannigan at The Royal Conservatory of Music’s Mazzoleni Hall (in collaboration with the University of Toronto and The Glenn Gould School) - more information

• ●  3 December 2024
  Masterclasses by Barbara Hannigan and Bertrand Chamayou at the UVic School of Music’s MacLaurin Building in Victoria - more information

• ●  7 December 2024
  Masterclasses by Barbara Hannigan and Bertrand Chamayou at the Eastman School of Music’s Kilbourn Hall in Rochester - more information

• ●  11 December 2024
  Masterclasses by Barbara Hannigan at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia - more information

November Music Festival Zorn Recital

September - Concerts with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

To kick off an exciting 2024/25 season, Barbara reunites with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra as their Principal Guest Conductor, a role she has held since 2019. She leads a series of concerts alongside various guest artists. The first programme, scheduled for September 19th and 20th, features iconic American works by composers such as Ives, Copland, Barber, and Gershwin, with Sofie Asplund as soprano soloist.

For tickets and more information, click here.

This is followed by a concert on September 22nd, showcasing a unique programme that includes Schönberg’s Chamber Symphony No.1, Berg’s Sieben frühe Lieder, Fauré’s String Quartet, and Chausson’s Chanson perpétuelle. Barbara performs as the soprano soloist, under the baton of Levi Hammer. The ensemble features Justyna Jara and Terje Skomedal (violin), Tuula Fleivik Nurmo (viola), Markus Lang (double-bass), Marjolein Vermeeren (flute), Selena Adler (clarinet), Jun Sasaki (cello), Juan Zurutuza (piano), and Erik Risberg (harmonium).

For tickets and more information, click here.

Barbara then concludes with a final series of concerts with the orchestra on September 25th, 26th, and 28th. The programme for these includes Barber’s Mutations from Bach, Berg’s Violin Concerto "To the Memory of an Angel" featuring violinist Veronika Eberle, and Mozart’s Requiem, with soloists Karolina Bengtsson (soprano), Tuuri Dede (mezzo-soprano), James Way (tenor), Erik Rosenius (bass), alongwith the Gothenburg Symphony Choir and Vocal Ensemble.

For tickets and more information, click here.

Hannigan’s 2024/25 Season

Hannigan’s 24/25 season brings return conducting engagements to Gothenburg Symphony, London Symphony, Munich Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Iceland Symphony, l'Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, and Kollegium Musicum WInterthur, a vocal recital tour with Bertrand Chamayou (works by Messiaen, Scriabin and Zorn), a music theatre production with director Romeo Castelluci at the Cathedral of Geneva (works by Pergolesi and Scelsi), as well as masterclasses throughout Europe and North America. She continues her collaboration with several organisations in her role as principal guest and associate artist positions, and in 2026 will take the helm of Iceland Symphony Orchestra as their chief conductor and artistic director. 

More detailed information can be found on her calendar page.

Photo: Cyrus Allyar

Hannigan Sings Zorn Volume One

Summer Engagements

To conclude her 2023/24 season, Barbara reunites with pianist Bertrand Chamayou, as part of the duo's ongoing tour, for two concerts at the Festival Ravel in the French Pyrénées. The first takes place in Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle on August 26th and consists of a French programme of Chausson and Franck, also featuring the Quatuor Belcea ensemble. The final concert takes place on August 28th in Urrugne and features pieces from Barbara and Bertrand’s latest album Messiaen, as well as works by Scriabin and John Zorn’s Jumalattaret. 

More information on the Académie du Festival d'Aix-en-Provence can be found here. 

Tickets and more information on her concert in Teatro Romano on July 7th can be found here. 

Tickets and more information on her recital in Casa Menotti on July 10th can be found here. 

Tickets and more information on her concert at the Piazza Duomo on July 14th can be found here. 

Tickets and more information on her concert in Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle on August 26th can be found here. 

Tickets and more information on her concert in Urrugne on August 26th can be found here. 

Cover of Rondo

Barbara Hannigan appointed Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra 

The Iceland Symphony Orchestra (ISO) announces the appointment of Barbara Hannigan as their Chief Conductor and Artistic Director for an initial period of three seasons commencing in August 2026. Hannigan’s first position as Chief Conductor will see her work with the Icelandic orchestra for a minimum of 6 subscription weeks per season in addition to touring and recording. As their Artistic Director, she will also contribute significantly to the innovative programming of the orchestra. 

“Always curious, courageous and creative, the players of the ISO are dedicated to working at the highest level. Their technical excellence co-exists alongside their wonderful imagination. In working with the ISO, I have felt the desire and possibility, for the first time, to consider a position as Chief Conductor. It is a matter of creative chemistry and collective timing that drives us to embark on this new path, together.” - Barbara Hannigan

“Barbara Hannigan is one of a kind, and we can’t wait to work more with such an outstanding artist, perform the innovative programmes she is renowned for and be a part of her unique expression. The first time she walked on stage to conduct our orchestra, we all felt something exceptional and unique in the air. Experiencing the trust between her and the musicians and how they create and go on an adventure together is extremely inspiring. We are grateful and honored to be the first orchestra to appoint Barbara Hannigan as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director. We know that she will significantly influence the orchestra, our audiences and the Icelandic cultural life in the years to come.”- Lára Sóley Jóhannsdóttir, Managing Director ISO

Barbara first conducted the Iceland Symphony Orchestra in the spring of 2022, with a stunning debut at the Reykjavík Arts Festival performing Charles Ives’ The Unanswered Question, Arnold Schönberg’s Verklärte Nacht, Alban Berg’s Suite from Lulu, and George Gershwin’s Girl Crazy Suite (arr. Bill Elliott). In June 2023, Barbara Hannigan and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra presented a programme of three captivating compositions, in which Hannigan's lyricism and playfulness were on display in equal measure, both in her singing and her conducting: Haydn’s Symphony No. 96 in D major, Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 and the world premiere of Golfam Khayam’s I am not a tale to be told. They joined forces again in April 2024 when they performed Francis Poulenc’s La Voix humaine alongside Strauss’ Metamorphosen. 

Barbara Hannigan continues her relationship with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra as their Principal Guest Conductor, a position she has held since 2019. She is Associate Artist with the London Symphony Orchestra, Première Artiste Invitée with l’Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and will begin as Principal Guest Conductor with Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne in 2024/25. She also continues collaborating with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra and Munich Philharmonic. In addition to having been named the Reinbert de Leeuw Professor of Music at the Royal Academy of Music in London, Barbara’s dedication to the younger generation of musicians led her to create the mentoring initiatives Equilibrium Young Artists and Momentum: Our Future Now. Her profound commitment to the music of our time is proven by world premiere performances of over 85 new works, and by her extensive collaborations with composers including György Ligeti, Henri Dutilleux, Gerald Barry, Pierre Boulez, John Zorn, George Benjamin and Hans Abrahamsen.

More about the Iceland Symphony Orchestra
Resident orchestra of Reykjavík's phenomenal Harpa Concert Hall, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra is the national orchestra of Iceland and one of the leading institutions on the country's cultural scene. In The New York Times, Alex Ross described the orchestra's performance under Osmo Vänskä as “sensational… one of the finest Sibelius performances I have encountered.” The ISO regularly performs throughout Europe and beyond, including performances at the BBC Proms, Wiener Musikverein, Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center with among others Vladimir Ashkenazy, Daníel Bjarnason and Víkingur Ólafsson.

Last year’s UK tour with the ISO’s current Chief Conductor Eva Ollikainen resulted in rave reviews, with The Herald stating “It seemed things could not get more thrilling, but the vivacity and charm with which the orchestra played Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony proved us wrong. By the time we spilled out into a chilly Edinburgh evening, it was as if we had fleetingly been allowed into another world.” 

Upcoming highlights of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra
Season 2024/25 marks the ISO’s 75th anniversary and some of the artists celebrating this extra festive season with the ISO are pianists Víkingur Ólafsson, Lise de la Salle, Sunwook Kim and Jan Lisiecki; conductors Osmo Vänskä and Bertrand de Billy; violinist Ava Bahari; and of course Barbara Hannigan. 

The ISO will announce its complete 2024/25 season on their website this month.

Next collaboration 

Barbara Hannigan and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra will give their next concert together in June 2025 in the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavík, Iceland.

JUNE 5, 2025 - Programme

Copland: Music for the Theatre

Haydn: Symphony No. 90

Offenbach: Selection from La Gaîté Parisienne (arr. Manuel Rosenthal)

Kurt Weill: Youkali & Lost in the stars (arr. Bill Elliot)

May Concerts

New album: MESSIAEN - out May 24th

Barbara Hannigan named Chief Guest Conductor of Lausanne Chamber Orchestra for the 2024/25 season

April Concerts

March Concerts

Wrapping up her schedule for the month, Barbara then journeys back to Paris to collaborate once again with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France (where she is Première Artiste Invitée) for a concert on March 22nd. This programme celebrates some of the great American composers, featuring Charles Ives’ atmospheric Three Places in New England in contrast with Copland's evocative Quiet City. Samuel Barber’s Knoxville, Summer of 1915 emanates a subtle melancholy which is complemented by Gershwin's bittersweet Porgy and Bess suite arranged by Robert Russell Bennett. The program also features soloists Liv Redpath (soprano), Guillaume Jehl (trumpet), and Stéphanie Suchanek (English Horn).

For tickets to the concerts on March 7th and 8th with the Göteborgs Symfoniker, click here. 

For tickets to the concert on March 10th, click here. 

For tickets to the concert on March 15th with the Royal Academy Chamber Orchestra, click here. 

For tickets to the concert on March 22nd with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, click here.

Cover of Holland Herald

Juno Nomination for Classical Album of the Year 2024

Hannigan’s most recent recording, with the Emerson String Quartet and pianist Bertrand Chamayou, has been nominated for a Juno Award in the category of Classical Album of the Year. The ceremony will be held in Halifax Nova Scotia (where Hannigan was born) on March 23rd, and will be broadcast on March 24th.

To stream or purchase to Infinite Voyage, released on Alpha Classics, click here.

Cover of La Scena Musicale

Hannigan is featured on the cover of the February/March 2024 edition of the Canadian publication La Scena Musicale. Read the feature interview here.

February Concerts

Hannigan then returns to her native Canada, and the Maison symphonique de Montréal, where she presents the North American premiere of her production of Poulenc's La voix humaine, in which she performs the role of "Elle" and conducts, while interacting with a live video monitor. 

"Poulenc's heartbreaking opera, La Voix Humaine, with text from Jean Cocteau's play of the same name, seems to present a situation in which a woman (Elle) is having a painful and final conversation with her ex-lover, in which we only hear her words, not his. This one-sided conversation is absolutely full of contradictions, lies, fantasy and desire. What I am most interested in, is the power, control, weakness and the ever-changing equilibrium of all of these aspects of "Elle". I find myself asking if there even is an ex-lover? What and who really exists within these deep and true emotions of love, loss and loneliness?" Also on the programme is Richard Strauss' Metamorphosen, a compellingly expressive and reflective composition performed by the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. 

The following week, Barbara leads two further concerts at the Maison symphonique de Montréal, featuring the contemporary piece In the half-light by Canadian composer Zosha Di Castri, which was written for her, and she premiered in 2022. Rafael Payare also conducts Bruckner’s “Romantic” Symphony. 

For tickets and more information on the La voix humaine concerts on February 21st & 22nd, click here. 

For tickets and more information on the In the half-light concerts onFebruary 28th & 29th, click here.

January Concerts

Following on from these concerts, Barbara returns to continue her artistic partnership with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra as their Principal Guest Conductor (Hannigan's contract as Principal Guest Conductor was just extended until 2028). This is the second time that she is performing with the orchestra this season, with two concerts on 18th and 19th of January with the Gothenburg Symphony and French piano duo, Katia and Marielle Labèque, acclaimed for their dynamic piano performances. The concerts have been specially programmed by Hannigan, and are entitled "Animatopia."  Developed in 2021, the programme centers itself on the theme of animals and the natural world, and includes highlights such as Roussel's animated Le Festin de l'araignée (Spider's Feast), Saint-Saëns' enigmatic Le Carnaval des Animaux, Satie's La pieuvre, and John Williams' beloved Jaws theme. They take place in the Great Hall, and also feature baritone Laurent Naouri and readings by Swedish actor David Dencik.

For more information and tickets to the concert in Winterthur on January 6th, click here.

For more information and tickets to the concert in Winterthur on January 7th, click here.

For more information and tickets to the concerts in Gothenburg on January 18th and 19th, click here.

Barbara Hannigan extends her role as Principal Guest Conductor with the Gothenburg Symphony

December Concerts

Barbara returns to Munich to perform two concerts with the Münchner Philharmoniker on 14th and 15th December at the Gasteig. These concerts feature a North American inspired programme, consisting of Ives’ The Unanswered Question and Three Places in New England, Ruth Crawford Seeger’s Andante for string orchestra, a Traditional Icelandic Folk Song, entitled, Outborn, Haydn’s Symphony No. 44. “Trauer” and Claude Vivier’s Lonely Child, which features soloist Greek soprano Aphrodite Patoulidou, an Equilibrium Young Artists alumna, who recently performed the work alongside Barbara and the Cleveland Orchestra last month.

You can listen to a portion of their performance here. 

The first of these concerts, on December 14th, is part of the "Jugendkonzert" series, a special series designed for a younger audience with moderator Malte Arkona. 

Earlier in the month, as Première Artiste Invitée, Barbara reunites with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France for two concerts. The first concert takes place on December 1st at the Philharmonie de Paris and features the world premiere of Salvatore Sciarrino’s Love and Fury. Dedicated to Barbara, the work consists of nine arias in special arrangements for soprano and orchestra by Sciarrino, taken from operas and cantatas by Alessandro Stradella. It is her great pleasure to bring this to the Maison de la Radio in Paris under the baton of Pablo Heras-Casado. The orchestra will also play Stravinsky’s Monumentum pro Gesualdo di Venosa ad CD annum and The Firebird. 

The next concert, which takes place at the Philhar'Intime on December 3rd, consists of an entirely different programme. For this performance, under the baton of Marc Desmons, Barbara sings Webern’s Cinq chants sacrés op. 15 and Berg’s Sieben frühe Lieder, the latter arranged by Reinbert De Leeuw, who characterizes the work through intricate orchestration and echoes of Wagner, evoking a serene atmosphere inspired by the poetry Dehmel and Rilke, where the vocal lines languidly extend into a dreamlike ambiance. Also featured in the programme are Berg’s Adagio pour violon, clarinette et piano, and Webern’s Cinq mouvements pour quatuor à cordes, as well as Hindemith’s Kammermuzik No.1 which will be conducted by Barbara. 

For tickets and information on the concert at the Philharmonie de Paris on December 1st, click here. 

For tickets and information on the concert at the Philhar'Intime on December 3rd, click here. 

For tickets and information on the Jugendkonzert at the Isarphilharmonie on December 14th, click here. 

For tickets and information on the concert at the Isarphilharmonie on December 15th, click here. 

Cover of Luister Magazine 

The Cleveland Orchestra

Watch Barbara’s “Programme Notes” series from social media, as she speaks about Ligeti’s Lontano:

John Zorn 70th Birthday Concerts

“One cannot transcend anything by staying on safe ground and it is in these intense moments that we can find deeper truths, bring mind and heart together — and begin to understand the soul and its workings in that courageous moment of letting go and going for it, the music will become alive in a special and heroic way — a way that is beyond just the notes on paper.”
- John Zorn

Barbara Hannigan is set to perform a series of concerts in Italy, France, and New York, celebrating the American composer John Zorn's 70th birthday, coinciding with the theatrical release of Mathieu Amalric's film trilogy dedicated to Zorn's work. The two artists connected several years ago, in 2015, and began their working relationship when Barbara premiered his piece Jumalattaret with pianist Stephan Gosling. A vocal and piano cycle inspired by Finnish mythology, Barbara premiered the work in 2019, and went on to perform several other pieces composed by Zorn. In addition Jumalattaret, the concerts this month will also feature Ab Eo, Quod, Split the Lark, Pandora's Box, Star Catcher, and more with a group of musicians including the composer himself.

Follow Barbara on instagram for more information on Zorn’s pieces.

For details and tickets to the Italy concerts on 30th and 31st October, click here. 

For tickets and more information on the Philharmonie de Paris concert on November 1st, click here. 

For tickets and information on the concert in New York at the Miller Theatre on November 16th, click here.

*Due to a family illness, Barbara has had to withdraw from her John Zorn performances at the Philharmonie de Paris on November 2nd, and her performances at the November Music Festival on November 4th.

Barbara’s statement from social media:

“I always do my very best to uphold each of my engagements, but in this case, it was necessary for me to return to Canada. Although I won’t be there to perform, I am sure you will still enjoy the performances of the other amazing musicians.

Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time, and I apologize for any disappointment this cancellation may have caused. I look forward to my performances with the Cleveland Orchestra on November 9th,10th and 11th.”

Infinite Voyage

Barbara releases her tenth album​ on Alpha Classics entitled Infinite Voyage, ​m​arking a significant collaboration between Barbara and the Emerson String Quartet, who disband​ed ​i​n October after more than four decades as one of the world’s leading string quartets. The Guardian praised the album: “...the Emersons give both works warm, lustrous performances... Barbara Hannigan is the soprano in the Schoenberg, her elegance and cool, precise shaping of every phrase perfectly tailored to the keenly expressive vocal lines.” Featuring one of the most important chamber​ music works of the 20th century, Schoenberg’s Quartet No.2​ for soprano and string quartet, the album also includes works​ by Hindemith, Berg, and Chausson’s heartbreaking Chanson​ perpétuelle, for which the ensemble is joined by pianist Bertrand​ Chamayou.

“The sheer sonic scope of this work takes us on a voyage into​ previously uncharted territory” say the Emerson musicians.​ “It’s a tall, gnarly tree to climb (all the way to another planet,​ it seems), yet one with deep and emotional roots”, continues​ Barbara Hannigan. “The soprano’s fin-de-siècle primal scream​ at the end of the 3rd movement, begging to be relieved of love,​ is a heavy hitter”.

“I cannot express how honoured I am to have had these years of​ performances with the Emersons, and what an unforgettable gift​ these recording days were.” Barbara Hannigan

“What unifies these stylistically disparate works is the expression of unfulfilled, perhaps​ unfulfillable yearning, as well as the​ composers’ absolute commitment to their aesthetic ideals. This​ has been an inspiring musical journey for all of us.” Eugene​ Drucker, Emerson String Quartet

The album has recently been named one of the “10 Best Classical Albums of the Year” by the Boston Globe, The Guardian and CBC Radio.

Order the album here. 

Follow Barbara on Instagram