Jaylin Vinson, a composer studying at the Aspen Music Festival and School, just took home the 2026 Hermitage Prize in Composition. This honor comes with a residency and Fellowship at the Hermitage Artist Retreat in Sarasota County, Florida. For the first time, the prize also brings a commission: Vinson will write a new piece that will premiere in Aspen in 2027.
The Hermitage Artist Retreat and Aspen Music Festival and School announced the news on August 17, 2026. Vinson is the thirteenth person to win this annual award, which this year comes with a value of $10,000, including a $5,000 commission. The prize covers expenses for Vinson’s Fellowship, residency, and a public program at the Hermitage. He’ll develop his new composition in Florida before its world premiere with the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble next year. Marsha and David Dowler, Rebecca Donelson and Bob Blattberg, and the Friends of the Hermitage in Aspen made this commission possible.
A jury selected Vinson for the prize. Among them: Robert Spano, a multiple Grammy-winner and AMFS Music Director; Alan Fletcher, an accomplished composer and AMFS President; and the AMFS composition faculty, including Grammy-winning Hermitage Fellow Christopher Theofanidis.
Andy Sandberg, Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO, presented the award to Vinson at the Aspen Music Festival’s Klein Tent, joined by Fletcher and Theofanidis. The following day, at a reception hosted by Marsha and David Dowler, the commission became official.
The Hermitage Prize in Composition began in 2013, signaling a strong partnership between the two organizations. The goal: encourage new work and spotlight rising composers in contemporary classical music. Last year, to mark a decade of the award, the Hermitage and Aspen released a retrospective video with interviews from past winners and leaders in the field. Legendary figures like Spano, Fletcher, Theofanidis, and Nico Muhly have completed Hermitage Fellowships; the prize aims to offer up-and-coming talent the same opportunity as they start their careers.
“We are thrilled to recognize Jaylin Vinson as the winner of the thirteenth annual Hermitage Prize and the first to receive a new commission,” said Sandberg. “Jaylin is a brilliant young composer already making a mark across the country, and we know he will be a welcome addition to the Hermitage community. Celebrating the weekend alongside our alumni made it even more special. Huge thanks to Marsha and David Dowler, Rebecca Donelson and Bob Blattberg, and our Aspen supporters for making this commission possible. We’re grateful for our ongoing collaboration with the Aspen Music Festival and School.”
