Juilliard's Annual Composition Prize Given to Aníbal Vidal

In partnership with the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and Villa Albertine, the prize includes 10,000 euros and a multi-week residency at Juilliard

The Pisar Prize is a collaboration between Juilliard, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, and Villa Albertine that began in 2022 at the initiative of Judith Pisar. It aims to bridge cultural artistry between the United States and France by commissioning and premiering a work by a young contemporary composer each year.

Aníbal Vidal, a Chilean-born composer and musician based in London, has won the third annual Pisar Prize in composition. As the recipient, Vidal will be awarded 10,000 euros and will have a multiweek residency at Juilliard to create a new piece.

As part of Vidal’s residency in New York, his new composition, The Languages That All Living Things Speak, will be workshopped by Juilliard’s AXIOM ensemble, led by Jeffrey Milarsky, on May 1, 2025. A short, immersive stay in rural Massachusetts will complement Vidal’s time in New York.

Inspired by a chapter from Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, this work will be premiered in Paris with the orchestra Les Siècles conducted by Antonello Manacorda in November 2025 at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées.

Previous winners of the award include Alex Nante and Christian-Frédéric Bloquert.

“Receiving the Pisar Prize is a tremendous honor and a significant step in internationalizing my career as a composer,” Vidal said. “The opportunity to compose a new orchestral work during a residency in New York, followed by its premiere in Paris, and to collaborate with leading institutions such as Juilliard, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Les Siècles, and Villa Albertine, is a remarkable privilege and I truly look forward to it."