Hannah A Barnes is a Montreal-based composer, conductor and performer. Her compositional interests centre on fragile and dynamic musical materials and structures. Her music draws on a wide range of interests and experiences, including her postgraduate and undergraduate studies in composition, her undergraduate studies in trumpet, 13 years of competitive Irish dancing at championship level, a rebellious phase with the electric guitar in her teens, a minor in Irish Studies, an interest in postmodern literature, a deep curiosity in the various manifestations of complexity and a passion for polyphony throughout music history.
Currently a DMus student at McGill University, Hannah completed a Master's degree with distinction in composition at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois (MM ‘21, BM ’19) with additional studies in conducting. Creative collaboration is central to her artistic practice. She has worked closely with soloists including oboist Kyle Bruckmann, guitarist Jesse Langen, hornist Tarre Nelson, vocalist Joanna Mieleszko, percussionist Alexander Garde, pianist Ian Pace and the clarinet/saxophone duo Garden Unit to develop new works.
Hannah is also the founder and director of the new music initiative ‘rhythm is image’ after being struck by the inexplicable and insatiable desire to perform Stockhausen's Mikrophonie I in 2019. She organises, directs and participates in concerts, focusing on experimental performance practice and championing ‘difficult’ music.
