Barbara Hannigan
(c) Raphael Brand
Canadian singer and conductor Barbara Hannigan, 52, has been appointed Professor of Music at the Royal Academy of Music in London. In her new role, Hannigan will direct ensembles, mentor singers, and offer guidance to students on strategies for optimizing performance.
The position is named after Reinbert De Leeuw, who died in 2020, and was one of Hannigan’s most important mentors.
In a statement, Academy Principal Jonathan Freeman-Attwood CBE said, “Our two periods of concerts and recording this year – and most recently with The Juilliard School where Barbara has been a Creative Associate – have inspired us all in countless ways, but most of all, offering ever-fresh artistic possibilities to our students and enabling them to deliver brave and innovative performances. Barbara is an exceptional force of nature and a brilliant role model. I am thrilled that she will become part of the fabric of Academy life and that Reinbert de Leeuw will be remembered in her title.”
