Pictured: Outdoor Program on the Hermitage Beach. Photo courtesy of the Hermitage Artist Retreat.

The Hermitage Artist Retreat (Sarasota County, Florida) and the Aspen Music Festival and School (Aspen, Colorado) are commemorating the 10th year of the Hermitage Prize in Composition with a video celebrating the impact of the unique prize. The video features exclusive interviews with past winners, renowned AMFS faculty members, and leading Hermitage Fellows in the field of music reflecting on the impact of the award in its first ten years. To view, please visit: HermitageArtistRetreat.org/HermitagePrizeAspen. At each festival since 2013, an exemplary composition student attending the Aspen Music Festival and School is awarded the distinguished Hermitage Prize in recognition of their accomplishments and to foster the development of future work. The recipient is selected by a distinguished panel of AMFS composition faculty and leadership, and receives a residency at the Hermitage, along with a $1,000 stipend. The idea for this recognition was first conceived when Hermitage Fellow Robert Spano, Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony and the AMFS, was in residence at the Hermitage. Spano emphasized how beneficial the Hermitage had been for him and his work: “The opportunity to be so focused and undistracted – it’s unbelievable – not only because of the time, but because of the space itself.”  Thus, the Hermitage Prize in Composition was created to offer the same experience to young talented composers just beginning their careers.

Pictured: Outdoor Program on the Hermitage Beach. Photo courtesy of the Hermitage Artist Retreat.