Jaylin Vinson Wins 2026 Hermitage Prize, to Receive New Aspen Commission

The Hermitage Artist Retreat and the Aspen Music Festival and School (Aspen, Colorado) are pleased to announce Jaylin Vinson, a composition student at AMFS, has been selected 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 pleased to announce 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.

The Hermitage Prize in Composition, launched in 2013, reflects an invaluable partnership between AMFS and the Hermitage, designed to champion new and original works and to recognize exceptional talent in the field of contemporary classical music. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of this award in 2023, the Hermitage and AMFS produced a retrospective video featuring exclusive interviews with past winners, distinguished AMFS faculty members, and renowned thought leaders in music. With established composers like Spano, Fletcher, Theofanidis, Nico Muhly, and more having experienced memorable Hermitage Fellowships, the Hermitage Prize in Composition was created to offer the same experience to young, talented composers just beginning their professional careers.

“We are thrilled to recognize Jaylin Vinson as the winner of the thirteenth annual Hermitage Prize and the inaugural recipient of this new commission,” noted Sandberg. “Jaylin is a brilliant young composer whose work has been heard across the United States, and we know he will a welcome addition to the Hermitage community. We were delighted that the weekend's festivities could be celebrated alongside fellow Hermitage alumni. We must also thank Marsha and David Dowler, Rebecca Donelson and Bob Blattberg, and our generous supporters in Aspen for making this new commission possible, and we are grateful for our continuing collaboration with the Aspen Music Festival and School.”