As directed by Krzystof Warlikowski at La Monnaie, she established herself as what I would argue is the definitive Lulu, all while dancing en pointe! If her NY appearances aren’t as frequent as one would like, every performance of hers, from intimate Armory recitals to John Zorn tributes at the Miller and to fully staged operas at Lincoln Center (those lucky enough to see her delirious Gepopo at the NY Phil or her explosive Agnes in Written on Skin surely should boast about being there the way a prior generation boasted about seeing Nilsson’s Turandot) has been a pure tour de force.

As seen most recently at the New York Philharmonic both singing AND conducting herself in La voix humaine, she has evolved into a formidable conductor, who brings stunning chameleonic virtuosity to everything she does.

For all of Gelb’s talk of engaging singers who are both exceptional vocalists and compelling actors, is there anyone who fits that criteria more obviously than Barbara Hannigan?