Hobart and William Smith Colleges

8 June 2026 • Alums John Henry Hobart: the Concert Opera

The founder of Hobart College is the subject of a new opera performed at Trinity Church New York.

Bishop John Henry Hobart is taking center stage in a new concert opera honoring his life and legacy.

Commissioned for America’s 250th anniversary, Great Awakenings: John Henry Hobart and America premiered May 31 at New York City’s Trinity Church, where Hobart served as rector and is buried.

The work explores the vision, accomplishments and complexities of the influential Episcopal bishop.

The idea for the opera was inspired by Hamilton the musical. In an essay published by Trinity Church, the Rev. R. William Franklin recalled that while reviewing ordination exams, a chaplain noted Hobart’s burial place inside Trinity Church, steps away from Alexander Hamilton’s, and asked: “We have a Broadway musical on Hamilton. Why don’t we have a musical on Hobart?”

From there, the idea took hold, eventually becoming Great Awakenings, a 50-minute concert opera composed by acclaimed church musician David Hurd.

As the third Bishop of New York, Hobart traveled widely, established parishes, expanded the clergy and helped shape The Episcopal Church in the decades following the American Revolution. He also co-founded General Theological Seminary and played a pivotal role in the founding of Geneva College, later renamed Hobart College in his honor.

The opera also considers the contradictions of Hobart’s legacy. It highlights his efforts to broaden the church’s reach, including his role in consecrating St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Harlem, the first Black Episcopal church in New York City, while also acknowledging his silence on slavery and his limited response to the forced relocation of the Oneida people.

For additional insight on the project, read an article by Shireen Korkzan for Episcopal News Services titled “New York’s Trinity Church to debut opera honoring Bishop John Henry Hobart.”