Barbican Artist Spotlight

Renée Fleming is featured at the Barbican this year in an Artist Spotlight, a highlight of the venue’s 15-16 season. This multi-event residency highlights Ms. Fleming in a range of featured appearances. She first introduces a screening of American Voices on February 3. This documentary captured the festival she created at the Kennedy Center in 2013, with performances from bass-baritone Eric Owens, bluegrass-country artist Alison Krauss, singer-songwriter Ben Folds, and many others.

She joins conductor Sakari Oramo, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and the BBC Singers on February 5 in concert in the main hall. The programme features works by Debussy, Ravel, and the UK premiere of Anders Hillborg’s The Strand Settings and the Robin Holloway arrangement of Debussy’s C’est l’extase, both featuring Ms. Fleming. The Strand Settings, premiered by her at Carnegie Hall in 2013, was instantly praised by critics:

“At once atmospheric, elegiac and unsettling, the work was crafted with Ms. Fleming’s
creamy voice in mind, and she sang beautifully.” (Anthony Tommasini – The New York Times)

Renée hosts a panel discussion on February 6 titled ‘The 21st Century Singer,’ with an illustrious roster of colleagues including Paul Moseley – Managing Director at Decca Classics, Katie Mitchell – opera and theatre director. and John Berry – former Artistic Director, ENO. She also leads a masterclass with students from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama on February 6, in the Milton Court Concert Hall.

Ms. Fleming returns to the Barbican on April 5 for a special screening of the 2008 Metropolitan Opera Gala Opening Night, in celebration of her 25th anniversary in performance at the Met (2016). She was joined by a spectacular group of artists for that concert, including James Levine, Ramón Vargas, and Thomas Hampson. This landmark event was also captured on DVD, and is available for purchase via Amazon.

Her final event in the Artist Spotlight features Renée in recital on April 6, singing favored lieder by Schumann and Strauss. She is joined by pianist Hartmut Höll for this performance, which takes place in the main hall. Please note there is extremely limited ticket inventory for this and the other events in the series.