'One' chosen by The Arts Desk as one of the "most memorable releases" of dvd's for Christmas

The strangest, most haunting of the opera DVDs which have come my way this year. This is a 46-minute one-hander composed in 2002, in which Candian soprano Barbara Hannigan plays the One of the title, a woman sharing the stage with Van der Aa’s video inserts – showing Hannigan’s alter ego and a cast of elderly women, presenting their stories in mock-documentary fashion. It’s baffling, but chilling; and it’s remarkable to witness how brilliantly Hannigan performs alongside her video double. The final minutes, as Hannigan’s elderly self delivers a brief soliloquy, are terrifying. Van der Aa’s music, punctuated by the crackle of snapping twigs, eloquently melds electronica and acoustic sounds. Watch this in a dark room, late at night and on a laptop, and you’ll have uneasy dreams.

Michel van der Aa: One – chamber opera for soprano and videoBarbara Hannigan (soprano) Michel van der Aa, stage and video direction (Disquiet Media)

* LIVE VIDEOCAST Le Grand Macabre *
  28 NOVEMBER 2011

Unitel Classica continues its series of live broadcasts from major European opera and concert houses. On the program of the international classical-music TV channel is György Ligeti’s “Le Grand Macabre,” which is being aired live for the first time ever from the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona on Monday, 28 November 2011 at 8:15 p.m.





PLI SELON PLI with PIERRE BOULEZ

After a tour throughout Europe, the wonderfully successful tour of Boulez' Pli selon pli ended on October 2nd at Royal Festival Hall in London.




* REVIEWS *

“None of the previous London performances I've heard has had such a remarkable soprano soloist as Hannigan, whose beauty of tone and understanding of Boulez's melismatic vocal writing are quite extraordinary; finally, one senses, Pli Selon Pli has received the consummate performance its compositional virtuosity demands.”
Guardian, by Andrew Clements


"That one was not lost between all the layers of sound and intellect was due to the Canadian soprano Barbara Hannigan. Her warm voice intermingled with elasticity into the most distant arabesques. She sang with natural openness in the highest and lowest registers. "
Tages-Anzeiger, 10.09.11


"The performance in KKL, which was a milestone in the history of the Lucerne Festival Academy, showcased the immediate sensuality of the music. (...) That the performance became so thrilling bears witness to the quality of work produced in the Academy. It may also have been due to the soprano Barbara Hannigan, who gave her part much emphasis, through a broad dynamic spectrum and a rich espressivo "
Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 13.09.2011

MORE REVIEWS OF PLI SELON PLI




NEW MANAGEMENT

As of May 2011, Barbara Hannigan has penned an agreement with HarrisonParrott for worldwide general management.
HarrisonParrott Artist Management




TITLE ROLE IN Matsukaze

Barbara Hannigan sings title role in world premiere of Hosokawa's opera Matsukaze, directed by Sasha Waltz & conducted by Pablo Heras-Casado


TRAILER Matsukaze


* REVIEWS *
"The Canadian Amsterdam-based soprano Barbara Hannigan is the major star, in the role of Matsukaze. Not only does she sing all the composer's beautiful, angelic vocal lines flawlessly and with richness of tone, but her share in the choreography (of Sasha Waltz) suggests that she has been living a secret life as a ballet dancer."
Het Parool, 11/05/11

Barbara Hannigan is spellbinding as Matsukaze
Financial Times 04/05/11

Sublime Matsukaze, frémissante de doute mais intense dans la retenue de Barbara Hannigan...
Le Soir, 05/05/11

Und Barbara Hannigan in der Titelpartie, die stimmlich und körperlich keine Akrobatik scheut und die von den Waltz- Tänzern, diesen selbstgenügsamen Feuer-Erde-Wasser-Luft-Wesen, am Ende kaum mehr zu unterscheiden ist. Am Ende, wenn der Wind wieder weht.
Tagesspiegel Berlin, 05/05/11




CONDUCTING DEBUT

Barbara recently made her conducting debut with Stravinsky's
Le Renard, and also sang and conducted Ligeti's Mysteries of the Macabre on the same programme with the Avanti Chamber Orchestra in Helsinki followed by a performance at the Chatelet in Paris.