O form of woman, sister of Wisdom, how great is your glory! ~Hildegard of Bingen
Nine hundred years after her birth, Hildegard of Bingen has re-emerged as one of the most dynamic heroines in our time. Women seeking strong role models have discovered that this 12th-century Abbess has shining relevance in their lives. Born in Germany’s Rhineland, Abbess Hildegard became a brilliant star in the spiritual and intellectual world of her day. A renowned Benedictine leader, mystic, composer, social reformer, poet and author of treatises on theology, natural science and medicine, Hildegard lectured widely in Europe and kings, emperors and popes sought her advice. In this afternoon workshop, we will encounter this wise and gutsy woman who achieved her best work after midlife. The story of her transformation from depression to leadership brings both inspiration and practical help for our own lives.
Nancy Fierro, Ph.D. is a lecturer, author, and concert pianist who has given presentations on Hildegard of Bingen throughout the United States. She will be a keynote speaker at the International Hildegard Network Conference in Salisbury, England in July of 1998 and has accepted an invitation from the Mayor of Bingen to repeat her lecture in Bingen, Germany as part of the 900th anniversary festivities celebrating Hildegard’s birth.
Dr. Fierro published a monograph and audio cassette on the abbess entitled “Hildegard of Bingen and Her Vision of the Feminine.” A concert pianist, she recorded several albums of music by women composers and appears regularly as a pre-concert lecturer for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at the Music Center. Dr. Fierro received her doctorate in music with a secondary area in feminist theology from the University of Southern California and a postgraduate Certificate in Music from the American Conservatory of Fine Arts in France.