She is a wonderful artist whom we have the great pleasure of welcoming this year for the Opening Concert of the 32nd Verbier Festival : Canadian conductor and soprano Barbara Hannigan. In 2025, she has been honoured with two of the world’s most prestigious awards: the Polar Music Prize (often dubbed the “Nobel Prize of Music”) and the Musical America Artist of the Year Award, which is given annually in the USA to the most influential classical musician of the season.
This trailblazing artist captivates audiences with her creativity, energy, and contagious ability to bring classical and contemporary music to new listeners. Prestigious institutions such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and Göteborgs Symfoniker have all recognised her talent, appointing her as Principal Guest Conductor for upcoming seasons. She is soon to conduct the New York Philharmonic, making her appearance at Verbier a must-see event!
Conductor, soprano, and trusted collaborator of some of the greatest composers—Boulez, Ligeti, Dutilleux, John Zorn—as well as leading musicians of our time like Sir Simon Rattle, Kirill Petrenko, and Esa-Pekka Salonen, Barbara Hannigan’s talent knows no bounds.
Don’t miss the chance to experience her brilliance at the Verbier Festival’s Opening Concert. And to celebrate this special evening, Barbara Hannigan will present the world premiere of At the Fair, composed with her friend Bill Elliott—who has been a Broadway success for over 30 years and with whom she recorded the acclaimed album Crazy Girl Crazy, winner of a Grammy Award® in 2018.
