Grammy-winning soprano Barbara Hannigan brings her vocal chops to Vancouver, November 30
The artist, who’s also a conductor, will be accompanied by esteemed pianist Bertrand Chamayou in a Vancouver Recital Society performance

Barbara Hannigan.
Vancouver Recital Society presents Barbara Hannigan and Bertrand Chamayou on November 30 at 7:30 pm at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
BORN IN NOVA Scotia and based in France, Grammy-winning soprano Barbara Hannigan has given world-premiere performances of nearly 100 compositions. The recording artist and conductor has tackled some of the most difficult roles in the repertoire. The New Yorker once wrote of her: “The intrepid Canadian soprano has emerged over the last half decade as one of the most vital and original musicians of her generation.”
Local audiences will have the chance to experience Hannigan’s musical mastery when she appears courtesy the Vancouver Recital Society in a concert on November 30 featuring accompaniment by acclaimed piano player Bertrand Chamayou.
A member of the Order of Canada and an Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France, Hannigan will perform French composer Olivier Messiaen’s “Chants de Terre et de Ciel”, a song cycle in six movements, and American composer John Zorn’s “Jumalattaret”, a song cycle in praise of nine Finnish goddesses. Rounding out the program are two piano solos: “Poème-nocturne, Op. 61” and “Vers la flamme, Op. 72”, both by Russian composer Alexander Scriabin.
Hannigan made her conducting debut at age 40 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris and has become known for creating dynamic programs that combine new and older repertoire. She is the Reinbert de Leeuw Professor of Music at London’s Royal Academy of Music and has been visiting professor at the Juilliard School in New York.
Chamayou has performed such venues as the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, New York’s Lincoln Center, and London’s Wigmore Hall.
A pre-concert talk takes place at 6:45 pm.
Gail Johnson is cofounder and associate editor of Stir. She is a Vancouver-based journalist who has earned local and national nominations and awards for her work. She is a certified Gladue Report writer via Indigenous Perspectives Society in partnership with Royal Roads University and is a member of a judging panel for top Vancouver restaurants.
Related Articles
Vancouver concert is nearly sold out, but great seats are still up for grabs in Surrey
Also on the program at Holy Rosary Cathedral is Benevoli’s Missa Tu Es Petrus
Raised on bluegrass and the warmth of her Bowen Island community, the Montreal-based folksinger comes full circle with songs about close emotional bonds
Vancouver Bach Family of Choirs presents the emotional composition with text by English soldier and war poet Wilfred Owen
Formed by a pair of musical duos, the group blends jazz, tango, African, classical, and more through mutual trust and constant curiosity
In her vibrant new show, the Vancouver singer illuminates and performs the timeless, barrier-breaking music that built Berry Gordy’s sonic empire
Set of antique and newly composed music by Hyeronimus Kapsberger and Claudio Ambrosini evokes the sounds of Venice
The Smithers, B.C.-based artist brings his articulate blend of soul, funk, jazz, and pop sounds to Vancouver
Artists hitting the Performance Works stage include New Jazz Underground, Nubya Garcia, and more
Friends of Chamber Music program features works by Barber, Bartók, and Shostakovich with unique historical relevance
Look forward to tales of hanging in Greenwich Village and Laurel Canyon with the likes of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen
Adaptation of the original Broadway production journeys through different eras of the Man in Black’s life and music
Award-winning New York-based string players to perform works by Mozart, Beethoven, and American composer Billy Childs
French choreographer Hubert Hazebroucq performs 15th- and 16th-century dances to the sound of a live wind band
For this UBC Opera and Opera West collaboration, emerging stars take the lead in a classic story with a long history of fame and scandal
Group’s founder and artistic director Masa Ogawa talks compassion and connection ahead of Chan Centre presentation
The choral singer, composer, and musician will succeed long-time head and cofounder Morna Edmundson
Performances by Bakara Band, violinist Suzka Mares, and vocalist Andrea Superstein are in store at David Lam Park and beyond
Russian virtuoso’s passion for pianoforte revives original voice of such legendary 19th-century composers as Beethoven and Mendelssohn
Hailing from distant musical worlds, the group’s members honour tradition while seeking connection through cross-cultural experiment
Concert honours Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina’s 500th birthday with such favourites as “Sicut cervus” and “Missa Papae Marcelli”
Known for her lilting melodies and deeply felt lyrics about love, artist delivers a coming-of-age collection in debut album Leftovers
In Vancouver Recital Society concert, the talented 24-year-old plays alongside New York City–based collaborative pianist Sahun Sam Hong
Concert conducted by Paula DeWit features a special collection of Baroque instruments and 16 vocalists
In his latest work, the orchestra’s in-house composer plays on the lofty landscapes of his childhood and his adopted West Coast hometown
Conductor Jacques Lacombe and director Mo Zhou are at the helm of Giacomo Puccini’s masterpiece, which features a double cast
Ahead of the Early Music Vancouver presentation, Alexander Weimann leads a chat with accomplished violinist Robert Mealy, the group’s codirector
Concert takes audiences on a journey through the sound of a generation, from The Supremes to Stevie Wonder
Alfredo Santa Ana, Dálava, Eve Egoyan, and Chloe Kim will grace the stage, offering up everything from classical influences to improvisations
Soprano Melody Courage, tenor Asitha Tennekoon, and baritone Tyler Duncan to join the choirs alongside the West Coast Symphony