Jaylin Vinson Wins 2026 Hermitage Prize in Composition at Aspen
The commission, backed by Marsha and David Dowler and other donors, will be developed at the Hermitage Artist Retreat.
The Hermitage Artist Retreat and the Aspen Music Festival and School (Aspen, Colorado) have named Jaylin Vinson, a composition student at AMFS, as the recipient of the 2026 Hermitage Prize in Composition. Vinson is the thirteenth recipient of this annual award, which includes a residency at the Hermitage.
This year, the Hermitage is launching a new $10,000 valuation for the prize, which includes a $5,000 commission paid directly to the winner, in addition to supporting expenses related to the winner's Fellowship and public program at the Hermitage. With this commission, Vinson will create an original composition that will be developed at the Hermitage prior to having its full premiere in Aspen in 2027 with the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble (ACE). This commission is made possible with generous support from Marsha & David Dowler, Rebecca Donelson & Robert Blattberg, and Friends of the Hermitage in Aspen.
Vinson was selected by a jury that includes multiple Grammy Award winner Robert Spano, Music Director of the AMFS, Artistic Director Laureate of the Atlanta Symphony, and a past member of the Hermitage Curatorial Council; award-winning composer and arts administrator Alan Fletcher, AMFS President and CEO; and the composition faculty of the AMFS, including Grammy Award-winning Hermitage Fellow Christopher Theofanidis.
Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg presented the award to Vinson on Saturday at the Aspen Music Festival's Klein Tent, alongside Fletcher and Theofanidis. The commission was announced the following day at an annual reception hosted by Marsha and David Dowler in celebration of the Hermitage Prize and the AMFS composition students.
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