From January 9–14, 2026, the visionary opera Hildegard by composer and librettist Sarah Kirkland Snider receives its New York premiere as part of the PROTOTYPE Festival, presented at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College. Following its critically acclaimed world premiere in Los Angeles, Hildegard continues its national journey as one of the season’s buzziest new operas.
Hildegard tells the story of the visionary 12th-century abbess, mystic, saint, and composer Hildegard von Bingen. Today, Hildegard is celebrated for her sacred monophony as well as her pioneering contributions to theology, botany, and medicine. The opera centers on Hildegard’s relationship with Richardis von Stade, a young nun who becomes her closest confidante and helps her bring Scivias to life. As Hildegard begins to experience divine revelations, she faces the threat of denunciation as a heretic by the Church. Her spiritual and creative bond with Richardis deepens into intimacy, compelling both women to confront the constraints imposed by faith, gender, and institutional power.
Directed by Elkhanah Pulitzer and conducted by Gabriel Crouch, the production stars Nola Richardson in the title role, with Mikaela Bennett as Richardis von Stade, supported by instrumentalists from the Novus Ensemble. The creative team includes Marsha Ginsberg (Scenic Design), Molly Irelan (Costume Design), Pablo Santiago (Lighting Design), and immersive visual projections by Deborah Johnson.
Hildegard represents a significant new chapter in Snider’s creative life, bringing her unmistakable musical voice—intimate, luminous, and emotionally searching—into the operatic realm. With a score that moves fluidly between the medieval and the modern, Snider animates Hildegard von Bingen not as a distant historical figure, but as a living, feeling artist whose spiritual vision, creative urgency, and defiance of limitation continue to resonate today.
Additionally, Snider’s fifth full-length LP, the all-orchestral album Forward Into Light, is released February 27 on Nonesuch / New Amsterdam Records. The first single is available now:
Produced by Silas Brown and recorded by the Metropolis Ensemble conducted by Andrew Cyr, the album features Forward Into Light, inspired by the American women’s suffrage movement; a string orchestra and harp version of Drink the Wild Ayre; Eye of Mnemosyne, exploring memory and innovation; and Something for the Dark, a meditation on resilience. Snider explains, “I chose to create an album of these four works because they share themes of perseverance, alliance, and evolution through dark and light—concepts that have been at the forefront of my mind in recent years.”
Interested in exploring further operatic repertoire inspired by the characters, culture, and music of the medieval era? Discover more in the Stories of the Middle Ages and Renaissance section of our recent feature on Operas in Concert.
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