Hillebrand was born in
Głuchołazy. He was a member of the
boys' choir Regensburger Domspatzen, the choir of the
Regensburg Cathedral. He studied voice at the
Musikhochschule Köln with Rolf Dieter Knoll, and at the
Musikhochschule München with
Hanno Blaschke. He was engaged at the
Lübeck Opera from 1973 where he made his debut. From 1974 he was engaged at the
Karlsruhe Opera, and from 1976 for several seasons at the
Bavarian State Opera. Hillebrand performed in 1973 the title role in Rossini's
Mosè in Egitto in Israel. He appeared at the
Salzburg Festival in Wagner's
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and in concert. He performed at the
Bayreuth Festival first in 1974 as
Hans Foltz in
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. In 1975 he performed additionally the parts of Fafner in
Siegfried, a Knight in
Parsifal, and the steersman in
Tristan und Isolde. Hillebrand appeared as the Doctor in Alban Berg's
Wozzeck at the
Paris Opera. He appeared as Telramund in Wagner's
Lohengrin at the Festival of
Taormina in 1991. In concert, he performed for example the bass solo in parts I to III of Bach's
Christmas Oratorio at the
Bachwoche Ansbach of 1977, with the Regensburger Domspatzen,
Heiner Hopfner as the
Evangelist, conducted by
Hanns-Martin Schneidt. Hillebrand has taught at the
Richard Strauss Conservatory in Munich. == Recordings ==