Philadelphia has one more reason to sing: a work born right here at home has won one of the highest honors in American music. Composer Gabriela Lena Frank’s Picaflor: A Future Myth has received the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Music — and its story is deeply rooted in our city.
The Philadelphia Orchestra and Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin co-commissioned Picaflor and gave its world premiere in March 2025, with Principal Guest Conductor Marin Alsop on the podium. The piece was the crowning achievement of Frank’s tenure as the Orchestra’s composer-in-residence from 2019 to 2023, years in which she also worked closely with young students across the region, including at KIPP West Philadelphia Preparatory Charter School.
Picaflor: A Future Myth retells a traditional Peruvian creation myth about a hummingbird — a picaflor — that pollinates the world and all its wildlife, giving birth to a vibrant and complex earth. Frank reimagines the tale in a futuristic setting, weaving together her Peruvian heritage and her passion for climate activism.
“Frank’s Picaflor is a profound act of storytelling,” said Ryan Fleur, president and CEO of The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts, in congratulating the composer. Philadelphia audiences first heard this extraordinary work before anyone else in the world — and now the whole country is celebrating it.
Photo: Mariah Tauger
