Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Program tenor Ben Reisinger has been awarded the 15th annual Hildegard Behrens Prize.

Reisinger, who is in his second year of the Lindemann Young Artist program, received the recognition at a ceremony in the Metropolitan Opera Grand Tier on Feb. 9, 2026, in celebration of the 89th anniversary of Ms. Behrens’ birth today.

Regarding his award Reisinger said “Hildegard Behrens was an artist celebrated for her vocal intensity, psychological insight, and uncompromising artistry, certainly one of the most compelling singing actresses of the 20th century. It’s my great honor to receive this prestigious award in memory of such an artist. I am deeply thankful to Mr. Ormazábal and the entire Hildegard Behrens Foundation for their generous investment in my career and support of my artistry.”

Melissa Wegner, Executive Director at the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Program, added, “On behalf of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, we extend our deepest gratitude to the Hildegard Behrens Foundation for its generous support and distinguished recognition of our artists. Ben Reisinger is a tenor with great potential to be impactful on the world’s greatest stages, and will be an ideal standard bearer for this award as he begins his professional career. The Foundation’s selection of Ben Reisinger for this prestigious award fittingly honors the enduring legacy of Hildegard Behrens, one of the Metropolitan Opera’s most revered dramatic sopranos.”

Recently, the Hildegard Behrens Prize has been awarded to Layla Claire, Emalie Savoy, Ying Fang, Michelle Bradley, Hyesang Park, Gabriella Reyes, Yunuet Laguna, Jessica Faselt, and Juliana Grigoryan; tenors Mario Chang, Kang Wang, Jonah Hoskins and Matthew Cairns.

The award commemorates one of the greatest Wagnerian sopranos of the 20th century and 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.

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