Barbara Hannigan, an acclaimed soprano and conductor, has been appointed as the chief conductor and artistic director of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, scheduled to start in 2026. This marks Hannigan's first full-time conducting role. The announcement was made by the ensemble on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
Hannigan, 53, known for her innovative programming, first conducted the Iceland Symphony in 2022 with a repertoire that included works by Ives, Schoenberg, Berg, and Gershwin. The orchestra’s managing director, Lara Soley Johannsdottir, praised Hannigan as a unique artist whose collaboration with musicians inspires creativity.
Hannigan will succeed Finnish conductor Eva Ollikainen, whose tenure began in 2020 and will end with the 2025-26 season. Hannigan’s initial term with the Iceland Symphony will last three years. She is recognized for simultaneously singing and conducting, as demonstrated in the recent performance of Poulenc’s “La Voix Humaine.”
Hannigan expressed excitement about recording, touring, and advocating for Icelandic composers. She plans to balance her conducting duties with her career as a soprano.
Barbara Hannigan, a Canadian native, began her career as a soprano and transitioned to conducting in 2011. She has worked with several prestigious orchestras worldwide and has been the principal guest conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra in Sweden since 2019.