If there is such a thing as a superstar in the world of contemporary classical music, soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan ranks at the top of a very short list.

With her quicksilver voice, charismatic personality and the striking physicality she brings to each performance, she has done what most people considered impossible – making the music of Ligeti, Boulez and Schoenberg irresistible to the many. Add to that her growing fame in the still male-dominated filed of orchestral conducting, and you have Barbara Hannigan, one of today’s truly transformative musical forces.

From her beginnings in Waverley, Nova Scotia to the great stages of the world, we talked with Barbara about her meteoric rise, her work with today’s greatest composers and the joys of bringing modern masterpieces to life.