09.05.2026

NIKOLA HILLEBRAND | Debut at the Vienna State Opera

“Lively and innocent, yet self-assured and confident” characterised Nikola Hillebrand’s Sophie, a role very close to her heart and which she performed for her recent appearance at the Berlin State Opera under Christian Thielemann: “she refuses to be beaten down and rebels with charm and verve. Her high notes ring out bright and clear as bells, and she delivers her notes with a soft, flowing quality…”

Nikola is already a familiar name to Vienna audiences, following regular concert and operatic appearances across the city in recent seasons. Bringing her shining operatic season to a close, she marks her awaited debut at the Vienna State Opera, returning to the role of Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier.

The latest edition of the Staatsoper magazine Opernring 2 puts the spotlight on Nikola ahead of her debut this week. It’s clear how the soprano’s sense of total emotional commitment continues to define her artistry today. Whether in Mozart, Strauss, or Lied repertoire, she not only technical precision but a profound communicative intensity—an ability to transmit the emotional core of the music directly to the audience. It is perhaps this quality that has made her Sophie so compelling: a portrayal shaped not only by vocal brilliance, but by genuine inner identification with the role.

Following her debut this season, Nikola is set to return to the Vienna State Opera throughout the 2026-27 season, showcasing her stylistic versatility—from Mozart heroines to Strauss’ most delicate creations.

Cast:

Camilla Nylund, Feldmarschallin
Günther Groissböck, Baron Ochs auf Lerchenau
Samantha Hankey, Octavian
Nikola Hillebrand, Sophie
Adrian Eröd, Herr von Faninal
Michael Spyres, Ein Sänger
Thomas Ebenstein, Valzacchi

Alexander Soddy, conductor
Otto Schenk, director
Rudolf Heinrich, staging
Erni Kniepert, costumes