Barbara Hannigan at Severance Hall

This landmark concert captures Barbara Hannigan’s conducting debut with the Cleveland Orchestra, revealing the acclaimed soprano’s bold artistic evolution. Introducing the program with personal reflections, she shares a deep connection to each piece. Haydn’s "Symphony No. 86" sparkles under her baton, her crystalline phrasing illuminating its classical clarity. She then embodies dual mastery in Vivier’s "Lonely Child"—her voice floating with ethereal vulnerability as she conducts. Ligeti’s "Lontano" unfurls in hushed modernist textures, leading to Strauss’s sweeping "Death and Transfiguration," where Hannigan’s emotional intensity reveals the score’s profound spiritual arc. More than a debut, this is a masterclass in versatility and vision—a thrilling journey shaped by Hannigan’s artistry and the Cleveland Orchestra’s world-class sensitivity. Program: Symphony No.44 in E minor - Haydn Lonely Child - Vivier * Lontano - Ligeti Death and Transfiguration - Richard Strauss * Soloist: Aphrodite Patoulidou, Soprano