Photo © Cyrus Allyar
As an internationally acclaimed soprano, Barbara Hannigan is famous for championing cutting-edge composers from György Ligeti to George Benjamin. Raised on choral singing and her father’s Billy Joel and Pavarotti cassettes in Nova Scotia, she established herself early as an artist of ferocious curiosity. These days, she’s more often to be found on the podium, pushing new boundaries as a thought-provoking conductor, even as she redefines what it is to be a musician. »
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When it comes to talent, Víkingur Ólafsson is as original as it gets. Born in Reykjavík, it wasn’t only his parents’ Steinway that attracted him. It was the way creativity was talked about in a home where music took the place of religion. These days he’s an award-winning recording artist with a string of cannily programmed albums. He’s also an in-demand concert artist with a repertoire from J.S. Bach to John Adams. It was a bold move to devote an entire year to a single work—Bach’s Goldberg Variations—but that’s what makes this insightful Icelandic pianist unique. »
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Over 15 years, James Robinson transformed Opera Theater of St. Louis into a powerhouse for new work. Terence Blanchard’s Champion and Fire Shut Up in My Bones made high-profile transfers to New York’s Metropolitan Opera, where audiences had already applauded his classic staging of Porgy and Bess. Now he aims to do the same thing on the West Coast as he takes his vaunted skills to Seattle Opera. An inspirational creative artist, Robinson believes in giving contemporary opera time to mature. Only then can a commission make the successful leap from page to stage. »
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