HILDEGARD BEHRENS FOUNDATION
~helping young artists reach their true artistic and humanitarian potential~
2023 Hildegard Behrens Foundation Award
Thirteenth Hildegard Behrens Foundation Humanitarian Award 2023 - to help young artists reach their true artistic and humanitarian potential. The Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and The Global Leaders Program received the 2023 award. Grantee institutions identify exceptional young artists, with keen musical intelligence and deep humanity, for professional training and performance opportunities, in honor of the legendary German dramatic soprano, Hildegard Behrens.
New York, NY. With great pleasure we announce the 13th annual Hildegard Behrens Prize, awarded to Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Program tenor Matthew Cairns, from Canada. Mr. Cairns is in his first year of the program. The prize was presented to Matthew at a ceremony in the Metropolitan Opera Grand Tier on February 9th, 2023, in celebration of the 86th anniversary of Ms. Behrens’ birthday. To date, the prize has been granted to sopranos Layla Claire, Emalie Savoy, Ying Fang, Michelle Bradley, Hyesang Park, Gabriella Reyes, Yunuet Laguna and Jessica Faselt; tenors Mario Chang, Kang Wang and Jonah Hoskins; and baritone Alexey Lavrov. The award commemorates one of the greatest Wagnerian sopranos of the 20th century, whom The New York Times proclaimed a “supersoprano”, Opera News declared “The Incomparable Hildegard” and “The greatest living Brünnhilde”, France’s Le Monde described as “Bouleversante” (Stunning), and Vienna’s Der Standard affirmed “Die grandioseste Brünnhilde der letzten Jahrzehnte” (The most magnificent Brünnhilde of the last decades). Her 1996 Salzburg Festival Elektra led Germany’s Süddeutsche Zeitung to quote the headline “Musikalisches Jahrhundertereignis” (once-in-a-century musical event), among the myriad accolades she received during her memorable life, summed up most simply yet eloquently as “Gipfelstürmerin” (conqueror of summits) by Germany’s Die Zeit. The Metropolitan Opera’s ‘Nightly Met Opera Streams’ of the legendary production of the Ring des Nibelungen, as well as Zeffirelli’s cherished production of Tosca with Placido Domingo, have recently introduced new generations of audiences to the enduring standards that represent Hildegard Behrens’ unique artistry.
The Foundation further continues its role as co-founder and principal sponsor of The Global Leaders Program, an innovative nine-month Executive Graduate Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship, Cultural Agency, Policy Leadership, Teaching Artistry and Organizational Management offered to a Global Cohort of 67 top musician innovators. Academically curated by nine world-class universities and think tanks including Harvard, Duke, Georgetown, McGill, New York University, and Bard College, the program connects a network of institutional fieldwork hosts spanning 40+ countries. Each year, the Foundation awards four of the most exceptional graduates, the distinguished Global Humanitarian Entrepreneur Prize, bestowed in Hildegard Behrens' memory.
Lindemann Young Artist Development Program
The Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, named after Mr. and Mrs. George Lindemann in recognition of their generous support, was founded in 1980 to help young artists transition to careers in opera. Since then, 181 artists have graduated from the program, with notable alumni including Stephanie Blythe, Charles Castronovo, Christine Goerke, Ryan Speedo Green, Erin Morley, Lisette Oropesa, Sondra Radvanovsky, and Russell Thomas. The program is considered one of the most prestigious of its kind because of the quality and scope of resources it makes available to the young singers, coaches, and pianists.
Melissa Wegner, Executive Director at the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Program, said “On behalf of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, I am delighted that the Hildegard Behrens Foundation has recognized tenor Matthew Cairns with this prestigious award. We are grateful by the continued association with this generous organization to honor the memory of one of the Met’s most esteemed dramatic sopranos, Hildegard Behrens.”
Mr. Cairns said "I am so thrilled to be the recipient of this year’s Hildegard Behrens Foundation Award! It is an honor to be recognized by such a prestigious foundation, and to join the ranks of some truly amazing artists that won in the past years. Uplifting young singers is integral to the longevity of this beautiful art form, and I am truly thankful for the support that Mr. Ormazabal and the Hildegard Behrens Foundation have provided me.”
Metropolitan Opera | Lindemann Young Artist Development Program (metopera.org)
The Global Leaders Program
The Global Leaders Program empowers a rising generation of changemakers in music to transform lives and communities through an innovative nine-month Executive Graduate Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship, Cultural Agency, Policy Leadership, Teaching Artistry, and Organizational Management. Led in partnership with nine top universities and think tanks including Harvard, Duke, Georgetown, McGill, New York University, and Bard College; a world-class Faculty that includes Nobel Laureates, Grammy Winners, Polar Prize Recipients, and TED presenters; and a network of institutional fieldwork hosts spanning 40+ countries. The Program is offered annually to a select Cohort of 67 rising leaders in the field from around the globe. Participants are trained to succeed simultaneously as social entrepreneurs, youth mentors, community leaders, policy advocates, organizational managers, teaching artists, digital collaborators, cultural agents, and social value creators. Graduating members are transforming the paradigm of what it means to be a great artist, and working to ensure that music initiatives continue to serve and enrich communities for generations to come.
Mark Gillespie, Co-Founder of the Global Leaders Program, said “The Global Humanitarian Entrepreneur Prize was created in memory of Hildegard Behrens, whose exceptional humanity endeared her to local communities around the world. In the spirit of Behrens’ legacy, the Prize recognizes and celebrates exceptional initiatives by graduating GLP Cohort Members that foster excellence, innovation and impact in the arts.”
2022 Prize Recipients include MTNext (USA), The Melody Movement (Berlin), and The Anthem Project (Australia).
Hildegard Behrens Laureates | The Global Leaders Program
The 2023 Hildegard Behrens Foundation award ceremony at the Metropolitan Opera Grand Tier, February 9th, 2023, with with MET Assistant Conductor, pianist and HBF board member Bryan Wagorn, entrepreneur, philanthropist and HBF board member Richard Strother, Foundation Chairman Dr. Gaston Ormazabal, 2023 HBF prize winner Matthew Cairns, and Executive Director of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program Melissa Wegner.
(photos: Francisco Ruben Flores Sosa / Metropolitan Opera)
Lincoln Center's Alternative Investment Industry Gala on November 15th, 2021 at the Rainbow Room
Only a few days after the award ceremony Jonah received an invitation to share the spotlight with three previous foundation awardees representing the Metropolitan Opera talent in a major fundraising event for Lincoln Center, at Rockefeller Center’s legendary Rainbow Room. Joining Jonah were sopranos Michelle Bradley, Hera Hyesang Park, and Yunuet Laguna, accompanied by the exceptional pianist, Met Assistant Conductor and foundation board member Bryan Wagorn. In a culmination of the star-studded evening titled “Lincoln Center's Alternative Investment Industry Gala”, the four HBF award winners performed a thrilling medley rendition of Franz Lehár’s “Meine Lippen sie küssen so heiss” which was met with roaring applause by the glittery audience.
