Conductor and soprano Barbara Hannigan becomes chief conductor and artistic director of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra in 2026. Photo by Marco Borggreve.
In Wednesday’s (5/15) Gramphone (U.K.), Hattie Butterworth writes, “The Iceland Symphony Orchestra (ISO) has announced the appointment of Barbara Hannigan as its Chief Conductor and Artistic Director for an initial period of three seasons, commencing in August 2026. Hannigan … will remain in her current positions as Principal Guest Conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and Associate Artist with the London Symphony Orchestra. Hannigan first conducted the Iceland Symphony Orchestra in the spring of 2022, at the Reykjavík Arts Festival, performing works that she has become known for, often singing on the podium: 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). Having last led the orchestra in April of this year with Poulenc’s La voix humaine alongside Strauss’ Metamorphosen, Hannigan’s 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. She will next appear alongside the orchestra in June 2025 with a program including Copland’s Music for the Theatre, Haydn’s Symphony No. 90, and works by Kurt Weill.”
