Meet the Third Annual Pisar Prize Winner Anibal Vidal
In addition to a €10,000 grant, he will participate in a multi-week residency at Juilliard this spring to develop his composition, which will premiere on November 14 at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris
Each year, the Pisar Prize, a collaboration between Juilliard, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, and Villa Albertine that began in 2022, seeks to bridge cultural artistry between the United States and France by commissioning and premiering a work by a young contemporary composer.
As part of his residency, on May 1, 2025, his new composition, The Languages that All Living Things Speak, will be workshopped by Juilliard’s AXIOM Ensemble, led by Jeffrey Milarsky. The piece is inspired by a chapter from Henry David Thoreau’s Walden in which the writer reflects on the practice of deep listening during his walks in the woods. The resulting work will exist in two iterations: an early version for a smaller ensemble (read by AXIOM in May) and a version scored for a full orchestra to be premiered at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris on November 14.
Vidal will additionally participate in a short, immersive stay in rural Massachusetts to complement his U.S. experience and advance his work, made possible thanks to Villa Albertine’s multi-city residency model.
Inspired by Judith Pisar, the Pisar Prize aims to foster Franco-American cultural collaboration by empowering young composers to create new works. The inaugural Pisar Prize was awarded to Argentinean composer Alex Nante in 2022. Nante’s A subtle chain, received a score reading in 2023 by Juilliard’s AXIOM Ensemble, conducted by Jeffrey Milarsky, and the orchestral version premiered on April 30, 2024, at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris by Orchestra Les Siècles. The second Pisar Prize was awarded to Juilliard alum Christian-Frédéric Bloquert. His new composition, “ce moment, l’instant“ was read by AXIOM at Juilliard on April 25, 2024, and debuted at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées on October 16, 2024.
About Anibal Vidal
Born in 1991, Anibal Vidal is a Chilean composer based in London. He holds a Master’s degree in Composition with Distinction and an Artist Diploma in Composition from the Royal College of Music in London.
His compositions have been performed in Europe, America, and Asia, featuring collaborations with different groups, such as the Ensemble Intercontemporain, Quatuor Bozzini, Britten Sinfonia, Mise-En ensemble, MI Orchestra, East Anglia Chamber Orchestra, RCM Philharmonic, Orquesta de Cámara de Valdivia, The Carice Singers, Divertimento ensemble, Cikada ensemble, Ensemble U, Ensemble Taller Sonoro, Synchronos ensemble, Ensamble Fractura, among others.
He has also scored the soundtracks of the TV series Pacto de Sangre (2018), Río Oscuro (2019), Helga & Flora (2020), and Cromosoma 21 (2022) as well as the feature films Canasto de Cangrejos (2018) and Mientes (2020).