About Nikola
"Hillebrand is the real deal,
sparkling top notes cascading effortlessly in the work’s most demanding role."
Nikola Hillebrand - Photo by Katharina Gebauer
"Young and fresh, Nikola Hillebrand hit the mark. Apt was the power of her voice, which always suggested the potential that even more was possible - and, at the same time, the wise decision not to use it. She threw herself into her music, imitating the orchestra, with equally delightful portamenti." wrote the press about her recent appearance in Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 4 at the Vienna Musikverein with the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig under Andris Nelsons.
German soprano Nikola Hillebrand grew up near Munich where her musical talent became apparent at an early age. Her journey began first with ballet and the flute, before her true love for the stage and singing came to the fore in her childhood.
Today, she has firmly established herself as one of the most exciting artists of the next generation. Her incredible versatility has led her to be internationally sought-after; in demand in both coloratura and lyric repertoire on the opera and concert stages, as well as being praised as a formidable Lieder interpreter. Her recent repertoire ranges from Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier), Zdenka (Arabella), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Konstanze (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Adele (Die Fledermaus) and Cunegonde in Bernstein's Candide.
Nikola was a member for Semperoper Dresden ensemble from 2020-2024 under the leadership of Chrsitian Thielemann during which time she sang much of her most important repertoire. She performed throughout this time roles such as Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier), Zdenka (Arabella), Konstanze (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Baroness Freimann (Der Wildschütz), Königin der Nacht (Die Zauberflöte), as well as debuting the roles of Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Musetta (La Bohème), Ännchen (Der Freischütz) and Gretel (Hansel and Gretel) at the house. Her huge successes in Dresden were recognised as she was honoured as the first recipient of the Choros Award for Best Newcomer.
© Karsten Prausse
© Konrad Stöhr
1. Semperoperball 2024
2. Richard Strauss orchestral songs with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra & Fabien Gabel
"The bottom line is that the young soprano is simply overwhelming"
The foundations of Nikola's career were established in her home town of Munich where she studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München under Prof. Fenna Kügel-Seifried. During her time there she took her first steps on to the professional stage with performances at Theater Bonn as well as two seasons at the Glyndebourne Festival where she was awarded the John Christie Award in recognition of her exceptional talent. Directly after her studies, Nikola immediate joined the principal ensemble of Nationaltheater Mannheim led by General Music Director Alexander Soddy. Here she debuted over 20 roles including Adele (Die Fledermaus), Despina (Così fan tutte), Königin der Nacht (Die Zauberflöte), Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier) and Norina (Don Pasquale). Her portrayal of the title role Poppea in the new production of Claudio Monteverdi's L'Incoronazione di Poppea received critical acclaim and her interpretation of Giuseppe Verdi's Gilda (Rigoletto) was honoured with the Arnold Petersen Prize.
Nikola has gone on the establish herself as a leading Mozart and Richard Strauss singer with these composers works have steadily become a cornerstone of her young career. Pamina in Die Zauberflöte is a role she has got on to sing across many major venues such as the Opera National de Paris, Bavarian State Opera, Semperoper Dresden and the Hamburg State Opera and is a role that will feature heavily in the years to come. Nikola will go on to make her house debut as Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier) at the Vienna State Opera in Otto Schenk's iconic production under the baton of Alexander Soddy, and at the beginning of 2026 she will sing the same role at the Berlin State Opera under Christian Thielemann, with whom she will also appear as a soloist in Johannes Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem at the Berlin Philharmonie and the Elbphilharmonie. Announced engagements also include a return to Bavarian State Opera in December 2025 where she performs Gretel (Hansel and Gretel) under the baton of General Music Director Vladimir Jurowski. She will return one again to Semperoper Dresden as a guest artist; taking on the roles of Konstanze, Pamina and Musetta in the upcoming season.
Fotos
Portrait
Hillebrand is equally in demand on the concert platform with recent highlights including Bach Mass in B minor with the Orchestre de Paris under Klaus Mäkelä, Mendelssohn Symphony No.2 with Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks under Herbert Blomstedt and Mahler Symphony No.4 with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig under Andris Nelsons. Nikola will begin her 2025/26 season will performances of Mahler Symphony No.4 with the Basel Symphony Orchestra under Markus Poschner.
2025/26 marks also many significant concert debuts. Nikola will make her US debut when she will perform Mahler Symphony No.4 in Boston with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Andris Nelsons. She will join Maestro Lorenzo Viotti and Mezzo-soprano Marina Viotti for Mahler Symphony No.2 as she makes her Het Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, debut with the Concertgebouw Orchestra. Shortly thereafter, she will make her anticipated debut with the Wiener Philharmoniker when she returns to the Musikverein Wien as guest soloist for the 100th anniversary Birthday concert of the Wiener Philharmoniker, performing J. Strauss II's Frühlingsstimmen, Walzer (Voices of Spring Waltz). Nikola will also return to the Berliner Philharmonie this coming season to make her debut with the Berlin Philharmonic with a highly anticipated performance of Bach Mass in B minor under Raphaël Pichon.
Recent past concert performances have also taken Nikola to the Salzburger Festspiele, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the Wiener Konzerthaus, the Auditorium National de France, the Müpa (Budapest) and the Auditorio Nacional de Madrid. The soprano has worked with many of today leading conductors including Christian Thielemann, Andris Nelsons, Manfred Honeck, Klaus Mäkelä, Franz Welser-Möst, Alexander Soddy, Antonello Manacorda, Ádám Fischer, Oksana Lyniv, Herbert Blomstedt, Roberto Gonzalez-Monjas, Markus Poschner, Marin Alsop, Fabien Gabel, René Jacobs, Omer Meir Wellber, Robin Ticciati and Raphaël Pichon.
In addition to her opera and concert engagements, Nikola is a passionate interpreter of art song. She is the winner of the international song competition "Das Lied" in Heidelberg (2019, jury chaired by Thomas Quasthoff) and has given recitals at Wigmore Hall, the Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg and Hohenems, the Pierre Boulez Hall in Berlin, Leeds Lieder, and at the Musikverein Graz. This year, her recitals will again take her to the Schubertiade, as well as to Wigmore Hall, the Oxford Lieder Festival, the Heidelberger Frühling, and the Schubertiada Vilabertran. Nikola enjoys a close working relationship with pianists Malcom Martineau, Julius Drake, Helmut Deutsch, Malcom Martineau, Alexander Fleischer and Joseph Middleton.
© Semperoper Dresden
© Charles Duprat / Opéra national de Paris
1. Le nozze di Figaro, Semperoper Dresden
2. Die Zauberflöte, Opéra national de Paris
Recent past concert performances have also taken Nikola to the Salzburger Festspiele, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the Wiener Konzerthaus, the Auditorium National de France, the Müpa (Budapest) and the Auditorio Nacional de Madrid. The soprano has worked with many of today leading conductors including Christian Thielemann, Andris Nelsons, Manfred Honeck, Klaus Mäkelä, Franz Welser-Möst, Alexander Soddy, Antonello Manacorda, Ádám Fischer, Oksana Lyniv, Herbert Blomstedt, Roberto Gonzalez-Monjas, Markus Poschner, Marin Alsop, Fabien Gabel, René Jacobs, Omer Meir Wellber, Robin Ticciati and Raphaël Pichon.
In addition to her opera and concert engagements, Nikola is a passionate interpreter of art song. She is the winner of the international song competition "Das Lied" in Heidelberg (2019, jury chaired by Thomas Quasthoff) and has given recitals at Wigmore Hall, the Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg and Hohenems, the Pierre Boulez Hall in Berlin, Leeds Lieder, and at the Musikverein Graz. This year, her recitals will again take her to the Schubertiade, as well as to Wigmore Hall, the Oxford Lieder Festival, the Heidelberger Frühling, and the Schubertiada Vilabertran. Nikola enjoys a close working relationship with pianists Malcom Martineau, Julius Drake, Helmut Deutsch, Malcom Martineau, Alexander Fleischer and Joseph Middleton.
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