ABOUT US

HILDEGARD BEHRENS was widely regarded as one of the greatest German dramatic sopranos of the 20th century and among the foremost Wagnerian sopranos of all time. She was most celebrated for her riveting portrayals of the most demanding soprano roles in the operatic repertoire. Her art was characterized by a keen musical intelligence and a profound understanding of the intellectual underpinning of her roles. But it was her overwhelming humanity that most endeared her to opera-lovers world-wide, as eloquently demonstrated by the unprecedented outpouring of grief at her untimely passing. In the last years of her life, Hildegard Behrens had dedicated herself to handing down these values personally to the next generation. In fact, death found her as she was about to begin Master Classes at the Kusatsu Festival in Japan. Throughout her career, Ms. Behrens was also a great friend of the Americas. She made spectacular débuts at Teatro Colón Buenos Aires, Teatro Municipal Rio de Janeiro and Santiago de Chile, and the Metropolitan Opera in New York was her artistic home for almost twenty-five years.

The HILDEGARD BEHRENS FOUNDATION was created in honor of the great soprano. It was launched on the first anniversary of her passing on August 18, 2010, by Founder and Chairman, Dr. Gaston Ormazábal, a long-time friend of the legendary opera singer. The founding members of the Advisory Board are Philip Behrens (Munich), Gloria Cajipe (San Diego/Manila), Alexandra Kauka Hamill (Munich/New York), Ken Noda (New York), Prince Fabrizio Ruspoli di Poggio Suasa (Paris/Marrakesh) and Mary Gene Sondericker (New York). In 2019, the board was expanded to include Michael Vranos (Greenwich/New York), Richard Strother, (Virginia/New York), Bryan Wagorn (Ottawa/New York). More recent additions include Nichlas Vranos (Greenwich/New York) in 2020, and Paige Coolidge (New York/Cambridge) in 2021.

The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, registered in the State of New York, that makes financial contributions to musical and artistic institutions in commemoration of Ms. Behrens’ artistic legacy: perfect architecture of the musical phrase, complete classical training in the historical context of Western civilization, and deep humanity.