Pulitzer Prize Awarded to Oregon Symphony Commission

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Oregon Symphony proudly celebrates as Gabriela Lena Frank’s Picaflor: A future myth was awarded the prestigious 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Music on Monday, May 4, 2026.

Commissioned by the Oregon Symphony in collaboration with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Bravo! Vail Music Festival, Picaflor received its world premiere on March 13, 2025. The Oregon Symphony will perform the West Coast premiere of Picaflor on October 8, 10, and 11, 2026, at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in downtown Portland.

Described by Frank as an “original story told in the language of a fable,” Picaflor is a 10-movement orchestral work inspired by Peruvian and broader Andean mythology. The piece is a futuristic reimagining of the legend of the picaflor – a rebellious hummingbird who brought fire to the earth. Inspired by Frank’s climate activism, her pride as a generational daughter of Indigenous Perú, and her firsthand experiences with California wildfires, Picaflor explores legend, culture, environmental crisis, and political upheaval.

“What an exciting moment for Gabriela Lena Frank and for our orchestra,” says David Danzmayr, Oregon Symphony Jean Vollum Music Director. “Watching this piece emerge from its first conception to its final astonishing form has been a joy, and I'm delighted to see Gabriela's work honored with this award. As the Oregon Symphony deepens its commitment to music by today's greatest living composers, we are honored to have had a part in bringing this piece to life. We are thrilled to share it with Portland in our next Classical season."

A recent inductee to the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Frank has collaborated with major arts institutions across the globe, including the Metropolitan Opera, with whom her debut opera, El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego, will premiere in May. She is also the winner of a Latin GRAMMY® Award and holds Guggenheim and USA Artist Fellowships. In 2017, The Washington Post named Frank one of the 35 most significant women composers in history.

“Congratulations to Gabriela Lena Frank on this remarkable achievement,” said Paul Snyder, President and CEO of the Oregon Symphony. “We strive to invest in artistic projects that reflect the vibrancy and diversity of our community. Gabriela's Picaflor: A future myth is a prime example of this powerful musical storytelling—a masterpiece that conjures new worlds, gives us a glimpse of the future, and resonates far beyond the walls of the concert hall. I invite everyone to celebrate this milestone with us at the West Coast premiere in October.”

Picaflor: A future myth marks the Oregon Symphony’s second Pulitzer Prize–winning commission. In 2021, Tania León won the Pulitzer Prize for Music for Stride, a work co-commissioned by the Oregon Symphony and the New York Philharmonic as part of Project 19, an initiative marking the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

Tickets to the Oregon Symphony’s performance of Picaflor: A future myth can be purchased on the Oregon Symphony website or by calling the Oregon Symphony ticket office at 503.228.1353. The concert will also feature performances of The Planets by Gustav Holst and Asteroid 4179: Toutatis by Kaija Saariaho.

About the Oregon Symphony

The multi-GRAMMY Award-nominated Oregon Symphony, led by Jean Vollum Music Director David Danzmayr, serves hundreds of thousands of people annually through concerts, education initiatives, and community programs. With a 130-year legacy, it is the oldest orchestra in the Western United States. Learn more at www.orsymphony.org and follow the Oregon Symphony on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Media Contacts:

Pari Patel, Director of Marketing and Communications
⁠ppatel@orsymphony.org

Caroline Surrett, Communications and Content Manager
⁠csurrett@orsymphony.org