Meet the Third Annual Pisar Prize Winner Anibal Vidal
Pisar Prize Winner Anibal Vidal. Photo by Anjulie Chen
Chilean-born, London-based composer Anibal Vidal has been awarded the 2024 Pisar Prize in Composition, presented by Juilliard in partnership with Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and Villa Albertine.
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).
In partnership with
The Juilliard School
Founded in 1905, The Juilliard School is a world leader in performing arts education. The school’s mission is to provide the highest caliber of artistic education for gifted musicians, dancers, and actors, composers, choreographers, and playwrights from around the world so that they may achieve their fullest potential as artists, leaders, and global citizens. Juilliard is led by Damian Woetzel, seventh president of the school, who has prioritized affordability and access to the highest level of artistic education while championing Juilliard’s tradition of excellence.
Located at Lincoln Center in New York City, Juilliard offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance, drama (acting and playwriting), and music (classical, jazz, historical performance, and vocal arts). More than 800 artists from 42 states and 50 countries and regions are enrolled in Juilliard’s College Division, where they appear in more than 700 annual performances in the school’s five theaters; at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully and David Geffen halls and at Carnegie Hall; as well as at other venues around New York City, the U.S., and the world. The continuum of learning at Juilliard also includes nearly 400 students from elementary through high school enrolled in the Preparatory Division—Pre-College and Music Advancement Program (MAP); MAP serves students from diverse backgrounds often underrepresented in the classical music field. More than 1,200 students are enrolled in Juilliard Extension, the flagship continuing education program taught both in person and remotely by a dedicated faculty of performers, creators, and scholars. Beyond its New York campus, Juilliard is defining new directions in performing arts education for a range of learners and enthusiasts through a global K-12 educational curricula and preparatory and graduate studies at The Tianjin Juilliard School in China.
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées is one of the most elegant performance venues in Paris. Designed in 1913 by a group of artists (Henry Van de Velde, the Perret brothers, Antoine Bourdelle, Maurice Denis), it was the first Parisian theatre to be entirely built of reinforced concrete, and has perpetuated for the past century a tradition of eclectic programmes of a high standard (opera, recitals, orchestral concerts, dance). Its opening is still vividly remembered for the ‘scandal’ of the premiere of Le Sacre du Printemps, whose impact on the public derived as much from Stravinsky’s music as from Nijinsky’s choreography. The artistic adventure of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées has been distinguished by the presence, for over one hundred years now, of the most prestigious creative figures in the history of music, opera and dance.