Soprano Emily Hindrichs, born in New Orleans, USA, studied at the University of Southern Mississippi, the University of Exeter, and the New England Conservatory. She was then a member of the Seattle Opera's Young Artist Program. She has won numerous competitions, including the Sullivan Foundation Award and the Washington International Competition, and has also won the Les Azuriales Opera Competition in France and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition. As a member of the ensemble at the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, the soprano has performed roles including the Queen of the Night in „Die Zauberflöte“, Oscar in „Un ballo in maschera“, Le Feu in „L'enfant et les sortilèges“, and the title role in Stravinsky's „Le Rossignol“. Debuts as Micaëla in „Carmen“, Anne Trulove in „The Rake's Progress“, and Konstanze in „Die Entführung aus dem Serail“ took her to the Opéra Théâtre de Saint-Étienne and the Connecticut Early Music Festival, among others. She also made guest appearances at the Komische Oper Berlin, the Aalto Music Theater Essen, and numerous other stages as the much sought-after Queen of the Night in „Die Zauberflöte“. In the fall of 2019, she enjoyed particular success at the German National Theater Weimar as Elsa in Paul Dessau's „Lancelot“.
In the 15/16 season, she moved from the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe to the Cologne Opera ensemble, where she has appeared as Teresa in „Benvenuto Cellini“, Musetta in „La Bohème“, Adela in the world premiere of Liza Lim's „Tree of Codes“, 1st Flower Maiden in „Parsifal“, Nannetta in „Falstaff“, several roles in the German premiere of Johannes Maria Staud's „Die Antilope“, Susanna in „Le nozze di Figaro“, Elisetta in Cimarosa's „Il matrimonio segreto“, Wanda in Offenbach's „La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein“, First Elf in „Rusalka“, Rose Maurrant in Kurt Weill's „Street Scene“, and the Queen of the Night in „Die Zauberflöte“. A particular highlight of her work at the Cologne Opera in 2018 was her interpretation of Marie in Bernd Alois Zimmermann's „Die Soldaten“.
In 21/22, she made her role debut as Marguerite in „Faust“ at the Cologne Opera and the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen, as Clémence in Kaija Saariajos „L’amour de loin“ at the Cologne Opera, a role debut as Olympia in Barrie Kosky's „Les Contes d'Hoffmann“ at the Komische Oper Berlin, and the world premiere of Liza Lim's „Annunciation Triptych“ with the WDR Symphony Orchestra conducted by Cristian Măcelaru.
The 22/23 season brought role debuts as the Infanta in Zemlinsky's „Der Zwerg“, Anna in Katie Mitchell's „Miranda“, and May in the world premiere of Arnaud Petit's „La bête dans la jungle“. In the summer of 2023, she appeared at the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence as Lover/Composer in the world premiere production of George Benjamin's „Picture a day like this“.
23/24 brought a return to Marie in „Die Soldaten“ in a new touring production by director Calixto Bieito at the Kölner Philharmonie, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, and the Philharmonie de Paris, the world premiere of Frank Pesci's „The Strangers“, and a role debut as Elettra in „Idomeneo“ and again as Marguerite in „Faust“.
In the 24/25 season, she made her debut as Donna Anna in „Don Giovanni“, as the fifth maid in „Elektra“, as Musetta in „La Bohème“, and as Soprano A in the world premiere of Philippe Manoury's „Die letzten Tage der Menschheit“. She also made her house debut at the Semperoper Dresden as Teresa in „Benvenuto Cellini“.
In the 25/26 season, Hindrichs appeared at the Cologne Opera as Freia in „Das Rheingold“, Gretel in „Hänsel und Gretel“, Contessa Almaviva in „Le Nozze di Figaro“, Helmwige in „Die Walküre“, and Lover 2/Composer in George Benjamin's „Picture a Day Like This“.
In the 2026/27 season, she will appear as Antonia / Giulietta in Stefan Herheim’s production of Jacques Offenbach’s „The Tales of Hoffmann“.
She will also perform the role of Rachel in Hans Werner Henze’s „La Piccola Cubana“, presented in celebration of the composer’s 100th birthday, and appear as First Elf in Dvořák’s „Rusalka“ in Nadja Loschky’s production. In addition, she will sing Gilda in Giuseppe Verdi’s „Rigoletto“ and Eliza Doolittle in Dietrich Hilsdorf’s production of Frederick Loewe’s musical „My Fair Lady“.