Category: Hermitage in the News

Hermitage Receives $300,000 in National and Regional Grants

The Hermitage Artist Retreat (Sarasota County, Florida) announced today that the Hermitage has been awarded a series of grants totaling over $300,000 that will support a variety of programs and initiatives, including residencies for Hermitage Fellows, arts education support, and program accessibility. Grants were awarded by the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Amphion Foundation, Bishop Parker Foundation, Community Foundation of Sarasota County, The Exchange, Frank E. Duckwall Foundation, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Koski Family Foundation, McNally Foundation, Poetry Foundation, Southface Sarasota’s GoodUse Grant, and the Tourist Development Cultural/Arts Program. 

The Welles Murphey Fund at Gulf Coast Community Foundation (GCCF) renewed its support for the Hermitage with a $50,000 Empowering Arts Grant in support of the organization’s mission: to inspire and foster the most influential and culturally consequential art and artists of our time. The Hermitage became one of Gulf Coast’s “Arts Appreciation” grantees in 2021, and that program was recently rebranded as “Empowering Arts,” supporting some of the leading arts and cultural institutions in the region. GCCF has additionally supported the Hermitage through other special programs and with hurricane relief efforts in recent years.

The Hermitage was awarded a $50,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County(CFSC) to once again serve as the Lead Community Sponsor for the Hermitage Greenfield Prize Weekend. This will be the ninth year of CFSC’s support of this annual celebration, which is presented in partnership with the Greenfield Foundation; this year’s events are scheduled for April 10-13, 2026, with additional details to be announced. The popular Hermitage Greenfield Prize Dinner will be held on Sunday, April 12thstarting at 6pm at Michael’s On East. 

For the upcoming season, Sarasota County approved the Tourist Development Cultural/Arts Program (TDC/A) funding, resulting in a grant award in the amount of $64,036 for the Hermitage to facilitate artist residencies and programming that supports tourism to Sarasota County. Hermitage Fellows, alumni, and curators are some of the leading artists and thinkers in their respective fields from all over the world. These world-renowned creators share their artistic talents and insight into their creative process through free community programs held on the Hermitage campus, as well as at partner arts, cultural, and educational institutions throughout the region. These impactful and educational programs offer a wide variety of free events to tourists and residents alike, all throughout Sarasota County.

The Koski Family Foundation renewed their support of the Hermitage with a $50,000 grant to support the Hermitage’s commitment to arts education, in addition to the continued support of the Hermitage’s Sarasota Cross Arts Collaborative initiative. This generous grant allows the Hermitage to foster the development and growth of teaching artists while providing local schools the benefit of these extraordinary artists’ insight and instruction. The Cross Arts Collaborative was designed to give performers who call local arts institutions their creative home a chance to expand their artistic practice from ‘performer’ to ‘creator.’ Recipients receive two weeks of uninterrupted time at the Hermitage Artist Retreat to develop a new project and present a free public program for the greater Sarasota community. The Cross Arts Collaborative recipients from 2025 will share a public program of their work December 3rd at Nathan Benderson Park as part of the “Hermitage Sunsets @ Benderson Park” series. 

The Terrence McNally Foundation has renewed its support for the McNally Fellowship at the Hermitage. This grant, awarded for the second time in 2025, celebrates the residency of an early-career playwright. Additional community program support comes from The Exchange, which awarded an Elizabeth Lindsay Arts in Education grant to support the Hermitage’s education initiatives, introducing some of the world’s leading artists to Sarasota County schools. Earlier this year, a grant from the Poetry Foundationsupported general programming and recovery, while the Bishop Parker Foundation offered generous support in recognition of the Hermitage’s programming and impact in Manatee County. Grants from the Amphion Foundation and Aaron Copland Fund for Music provide support for the organization’s commitment to music initiatives. The GoodUse Grant from Southface Sarasota supports energy efficiency in operations, while the Frank E. Duckwall Foundation’s grant supports the Hermitage with a focus on rebuilding accessibility equipment after the hurricanes.

The Hermitage is widely recognized for its international artist residency program and its rapidly expanding community programming, introducing Gulf Coast audiences to some of the world’s leading artists across all disciplines. “As our programs and collaborations continue to evolve and expand, we are excited to see the impact on audiences throughout our region and beyond,” says Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “We are deeply appreciative for these generous grants from both new and longtime supporters, all of which will provide invaluable support and resources to the diverse and accomplished Hermitage artists who are making a meaningful impact in our community and with audiences around the world.”

Hermitage Raises Over $450,000 at Artful Lobster – a Record Breaker!

The Hermitage Artist Retreat (Sarasota County, Florida) raised over $450,000 at the 2025 Hermitage Artful Lobster on Saturday, November 8th. This annual event raises valuable funds for the Hermitage’s internationally renowned artist residency program, supporting the creative process of artists from around the world in the fields of music, theater, visual art, literature, dance, and more. This year’s event returned to the Hermitage’s historic beachfront campus on Manasota Key after being displaced by the hurricanes in 2024. Over 200 guests attended the sold-out luncheon, where Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg served as the master of ceremonies.

The event featured performances from Tony Award nominated Broadway star Betsy Wolfe (Death Becomes Her; Waitress; & Juliet); Latvian guitarist and Hermitage Fellow Matīss Čudars, the 2023 recipient of the Hermitage Prize in Composition; and 2024 Hermitage Cross Arts Collaborative Fellow Raleigh Mosely II. 

Following welcome remarks from Andy Sandberg who reflected on the past year and expressed gratitude to the larger Hermitage community, Raleigh Mosely II kicked off the musical entertainment with an unforgettable performance of “The Only One,” written by Tony Award-winning Hermitage Fellow Gavin Creel. This song was from Creel’s musical Walk on Through, which was developed in part at the Hermitage prior to Creel’s passing. Sandberg noted that this performance in Gavin’s honor was intended to celebrate the legacy of this beloved performer and Hermitage alum. Shortly thereafter, the event’s headliner Betsy Wolfe took to the stage to share two songs from original musicals she’s developed. This included “The Shape of Things” from the new musical Joy, with music and lyrics by Hermitage Major Theater Award finalist AnnMarie Milazzo. After lunch, guitarist Matīss Čudars, the 2023 recipient of the Hermitage Prize in Composition at the Aspen Music Festival & School, delighted the audience with a guitar performance of his original composition “Vilcienā,” as well as a memorable rendition of the Beatles’ “Let it Be.” Following a brief video presentation about the impact of the hurricanes in the past season, Betsy Wolfe returned for a poignant rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” to highlight the Hermitage’s recovery efforts. After a highly successful and enthusiastic paddle raise led by Sandberg with some help from “Artsy” the Artful Lobster, Wolfe closed out the event with the pop anthem “Domino,” featured in the musical & Juliet, for which Wolfe received a Tony Award nomination. Sarasota musician and frequent Hermitage collaborator Joseph Holt performed alongside both Wolfe and Mosely on the keys. Between sponsorships and the paddle raise, the event raised over $450,000 in support of the Hermitage mission: to inspire and foster the most influential and culturally consequential art and artists of our time.

“This year’s Artful Lobster was an event to remember and an especially meaningful celebration of resilience as we returned to the Hermitage campus,” said Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “We are thankful to all who attended and supported this year’s festivities. The generous outpouring of support for the work we are doing at the Hermitage is a demonstration of our community’s extraordinary commitment to the arts and the creative process.” 

This year’s Artful Lobster was co-chaired by Sondra & Gerald Biller and Michael & Carol Clark. Sponsors and partners for the 2025 Artful Lobster included Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Key Agency, Herald-Tribune / Local IQ, and SRQ Media. A full list of this year’s sponsors and partners can be found at HermitageArtistRetreat.org/ArtfulLobster2025.

New Program on December 18 at Bookstore1 Features Joseph Earl Thomas

The Hermitage Artist Retreat announces a new December program. This newly announced event, “The Fantasy of Reality,” is scheduled for Thursday, December 18th at 6pm, at Bookstore1 in downtown Sarasota. “The Fantasy of Reality” features award-winning Hermitage Fellow Joseph Earl Thomas, who straddles form, from memoir and nonfiction to fiction and poetry. Thomas is celebrated for his distinctive style that often pushes expectations, and his work often plays with the boundaries between fantasy and reality. His memoir Sink was hailed as “extraordinary” by The New York Times. Past Hermitage Fellow and National Book Award winner Justin Torres said Thomas’ novel God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer “reads like direct communication from the soul.” Thomas’ Hermitage Residency is generously sponsored by Georgia Court. 

Joseph Earl Thomas is the author of several published books, including Sink, a memoir, longlisted for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award and shortlisted for the Patrick Saroyan International Writing Prize; the novel God Bless You, Otis Spunkmeyer, longlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Literary Excellence, finalist for the LA Times Art Seidenbaum Award, and winner of the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize; and the forthcoming story collection Leviathan Beach. Thomas’ prose and poetry have been published or are forthcoming in The Kenyon Review, The Paris Review, The Verge, Harper’s, Virginia Quarterly Review, Vanity Fair, The Yale Review, TheMassachusetts Review, and Dilettante Army. A graduate of Notre Dame’s MFA program in prose, he earned his PhD in English from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the writing faculty at Sarah Lawrence College as well as low residency MFA programs at Holy Family and Randolph Colleges, Thomas teaches courses in Black Studies, Poetics, Video Games, Queer Theory and more at the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research.

All Hermitage programs are free and open to the public (with a $5/person registration fee), offering Gulf Coast audiences a rare chance to engage and interact with some of the world’s leading talent. Due to capacity limitations, registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org. 

Tony Award-Nominated Broadway Star Betsy Wolfe to Headline Artful Lobster

The Hermitage Artist Retreat announces today that Tony Award nominee Betsy Wolfe will headline the Hermitage’s sold-out fall fundraising event, “The Artful Lobster: An Outdoor Celebration!” on Saturday, November 8th from 11:30am to 2pm. This year’s event returns to the Hermitage’s historic beachfront campus on Manasota Key after being displaced by the hurricanes in 2024. The popular fall luncheon will also feature performances from acclaimed guitarist and Hermitage Fellow Mattĩs Čudars, the 2023 recipient of the Hermitage Prize in Composition at the Aspen Music Festival & School; and from 2024 Hermitage Cross Arts Collaborative Fellow Raleigh Mosely II.

Now in its 17th year, the Artful Lobster raises valuable funds for the Hermitage’s renowned artist residency program, supporting the creative process of artists from around the world in the fields of music, theater, visual art, literature, dance, and more. This popular event, which takes place outdoors beneath a large tent on the Hermitage’s beachfront campus, features a lobster feast catered by Michael’s On East, in addition to live performances from renowned Hermitage Fellows. The Co-Chairs for the 2025 Artful Lobster are Sondra & Gerald Biller and Michael & Carol Clark. 

Betsy Wolfe will soon be seen in the Tony Award-nominated musical Death Becomes Her, starring as Madeline Ashton. Most recently, she earned critical acclaim as the title role in the new musical JOY, with a score by 2022 Hermitage Major Theater Award finalist AnnMarie Milazzo. Betsy previously wrapped her tenure as Anne Hathaway in & Juliet, where her celebrated performance was nominated for the 2023 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Wolfe is well known for her starring turns as Jenna in Sara Bareilles’ Tony Award-nominated musical Waitress, Cordelia in the Broadway revival of Falsettos, and Cathy in the first major Off-Broadway revival of The Last Five Years. Wolfe made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Die Fledermaus and has appeared as a guest artist with more than 60 symphony, pops, and philharmonic orchestras worldwide, including the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the New York Pops, and the BBC Orchestra. 

Latvian composer and guitarist Matīss Čudars is the 2023 recipient of the Hermitage Prize in Composition, presented in partnership with the Aspen Music Festival and School. Čudars draws upon a diverse musical background encompassing math rock, jazz, classical music, and improv. Inspired by Latvia’s rich traditions in folk and choral music, Matīss’ work embodies a quest for melodicism and beauty, often reflecting the sublime yet understated nature of his motherland. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Guitar from Amsterdam Conservatory and a Master’s Degree in Composition from the Yale School of Music.

Raleigh Mosely II is the 2024 recipient of the Hermitage Cross Arts Collaborative Fellowship and a member of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, where he has starred as Jimmy Early in Dreamgirls and currently as the title role in Purlie. His additional credits with WBTT include Soul Crooners featuring Sistas in the Name of Soul at the National Black Theatre Festival, Broadway in Black, Joyful! Joyful!, Marvin Gaye: Prince of Soul, In the Heights, and A Motown Christmas. Conductor, pianist, and arranger, and arts leader Dr. Joseph Holt, a frequent Hermitage collaborator, will provide accompaniment on the keys.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Betsy Wolfe to the Hermitage to perform at our 17th annual Artful Lobster,” says Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “Our paths have crossed for many years in the theater world, and we’re so fortunate to have Betsy joining us just weeks before she steps into her newest leading role on Broadway! The line-up of talent for this year’s Artful Lobster is truly extraordinary, and attendees are in for a real treat.” 

The Artful Lobster raises vital funds for the Hermitage’s core residency program and the many free programs the Hermitage offers throughout the community each year. Sponsorship levels for this fundraiser range from $1,500 to $10,000. The event is now at capacity; for waitlist inquiries, contact: (941) 475-2098, Ext. 2. 

Community and media partners for the 2025 Hermitage Artful Lobster include Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Herald-Tribune Media Group, Key Agency, and SRQ Media. A full list of this year’s sponsors, benefactors, and partners can be found at HermitageArtistRetreat.org/ArtfulLobster2025/.

Nov. 20 Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens Features Migdalia Cruz and Lauren Marcus

The Hermitage Artist Retreat announces the newest program in its “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” series, an ongoing partnership with Marie Selby Botanical Gardens that was established six years ago. This new program, “An Evening of Scenes & Songs,” is scheduled for Thursday, November 20th at 5:30pm, at Historic Spanish Point in Osprey. “An Evening of Scenes & Songs” features two stand-out theater dynamos – Migdalia Cruz, honored as a “legacy” by the DGF Legacy Playwrights Initiative, and Lauren Marcus, hailed as a “rock star” by BroadwayWorld. Join us as these artists share excerpts from their original work in this memorable sunset program.

This newly announced event features original work from the latest Hermitage-Roundabout Fellow, Migdalia Cruz. Tony Award-winning Roundabout Theatre Company is the nation’s largest not-for-profit theater with a celebrated history of producing iconic works for nearly 60 years. The Hermitage-Roundabout partnership is designed to further the Hermitage’s mission to inspire and foster the most influential and culturally consequential art and artists of our time. This collaboration provides an opportunity for some of the theater world’s most exciting new voices to explore their work at the Hermitage before a potential production at one of the country’s most prestigious theatrical institutions.

In addition to being a Hermitage-Roundabout Fellow and a DGF Legacy Playwright, Migdalia Cruz is a Bronx-born writer, lyricist, translator, and librettist with over 60 works performed in 150 venues in 12 countries. Her awards include the NEA, McKnight, NYSCA, TCG/Pew, and the 2013 Helen Merrill Distinguished Playwright. Cruz’s voice was nurtured by her mentor María Irene Fornés at INTAR and her eight-year residency at Latino Chicago Theater Company. She co-chairs the DGF Playwriting Fellows, mentors the Latinx Playwrights’ Circle, and has taught at Princeton, NYU, IU and as founding member of the Fornés Institute’s Playwriting Workshop. Migdalia is an alumna of New Dramatists, a member of the Tent Theater for “Vintage” playwrights, and she is recognized in Analola Santana’s book as one of the Fifty Key Figures in Latinx and Latin American Theater.

Hermitage Fellow Lauren Marcus is a multihyphenate actor-singer-writer whose work has been seen on stage, screen, and across acclaimed music venues throughout New York City. She is known for her Broadway run in the original cast of Be More Chill and recently brought the house down every night in the Off-Broadway premiere of The Jonathan Larson Project. Lauren is currently co-writing the book for a new musical adaptation of the 1985 film Girls Just Want to Have Fun (based on the 1985 Sarah Jessica Parker film) for Lively McCabe Entertainment. She is a recipient of the Penn State New Musical Theatre Initiative Commission, a two-time finalist for the Jonathan Larson Grant, and developed her original television pilot at New York Stage & Film. Lauren’s original musical, Lauren and The Case of The Missing Hair(book/music/lyrics), is a Relentless Award semifinalist and has received readings from Two River Theater and NYC’s legendary Power Station. As a singer-songwriter, Lauren released her debut EP, Never Really Done With You, in 2016. She recently held two sold-out residencies at Rockwood Music Hall, and is currently finishing her first full-length album. Lauren is an alumnus of the Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project. She holds a Bachelor of Music from New York University and a Master of Arts from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

All Hermitage programs are free and open to the public (with a $5/person registration fee), offering Gulf Coast audiences a rare chance to engage and interact with some of the world’s leading talent. Due to capacity limitations, registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org. 

Hermitage Sunsets @ Benderson Park Features 2025 Hermitage Cross Arts Collaborative Fellows

The Hermitage Artist Retreat announces the newest program in its “Hermitage Sunsets @ Benderson Park” series, an ongoing partnership with Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy that was established in 2023. The new program, presented in partnership with ensembleNewSRQ and Key Chorale, is scheduled for Wednesday, December 3rd at 5pm, featuring Shawn Allison, a musician, composer, and frequent collaborator with ensembleNewSRQ; and Tom Lubben, a performer, musician, and member of the Lubben Brothers, a folk trio developing music with Key Chorale. Both talented artists were selected for the fourth year of the Hermitage Cross Arts Collaborative program, supporting Sarasota’s thriving arts scene by offering performing artists at collaborating institutions the gift of time and space to focus on generating new works of their own creation. The Hermitage Cross Arts Collaborative, made possible with generous support from the Koski Family Foundation, is designed to give frequent performers and company members from leading Sarasota arts organizations a chance to expand their artistic practice from ‘performer’ to ‘creator.’

Shawn Allison’s compositions have been described as “playful and inventive” (Chicago Sun-Times), “vividly imagistic” (Lucid Culture), “smartly crafted,” “lyrical, otherworldly,” and “intriguing” (Chicago Classical Review). Shawn seeks to connect listeners to shared emotional spaces via evocative images and symbols with mythical significance. He and his wife, pianist Abbey Allison, serve together as music co-directors at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greater Naples, and he is currently a visiting professor at Florida Gulf Coast University. 

Tom Lubben, along with his two triplet brothers, is a founding member of The Lubben Brothers, musicians pioneering original music rich in lyrical sensitivity, vocal harmonies, and the timeless, multicultural American folk tradition. For the past several years, Tom Lubben has collaborated with Joseph Caulkins and Key Chorale to create the musical program “American Storytellers,” which resurrects iconic moments in American popular music and celebrates their timelessness and relevancy. The focus of this project reaches the deepest roots of what made the Lubben Brothers who they are and has become one of the most rewarding projects Tom has adopted. Lubben has also written book, lyrics, and music for several musicals, and he has created many arrangements for he and his brothers to perform. With deep roots both in the Celtic and classical worlds, the Lubben Brothers tour nationally and have a growing catalogue of music streaming on every digital platform.

All Hermitage programs are free and open to the public (with a $5/person registration fee), offering Gulf Coast audiences a rare chance to engage and interact with some of the world’s leading talent. Due to capacity limitations, registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org. 

Hermitage Presents Orlando (FL) by HMTA winner Chris Bush in London

The Hermitage Artist Retreat today released photos from the workshop presentation of newly commissioned work by Chris Bush, the fourth recipient of the $35,000 Hermitage Major Theater Award (HMTA).

Photo Link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/ohl8b98skxybvqwuq69t5/AApNMOJHjaljJuu7A2bZvwc?rlkey=cpy7wdd4yjj4hlj5307fr8ofb&st=t55517r0&dl=0

On October 10th, Bush shared a London workshop presentation of her newly commissioned play Orlando (FL), with support from the National Theatre New Work Department. Chris Bush is an award-winning playwright, lyricist, and theater-maker based in the United Kingdom. Her comprehensive body of work includes Standing at the Sky’s Edge, which won her an Olivier Award and a UK Theatre Award for Best Musical. 

The Hermitage Major Theater Award was established in 2021 to recognize a playwright or theater artist with a substantial commission to create a new, original, and impactful piece of theater. This international, jury-selected award, established by the Hermitage with generous support from Flora Major and the Kutya Major Foundation, offers one of the largest unrestricted nonprofit theater commissions. Bush received a cash prize of $35,000, as well as a residency at the Hermitage Artist Retreat (Sarasota County, Florida), plus a developmental workshop and reading in London. The prize is intended to bridge the connection between the Hermitage, where the commission is born, and other leading arts and culture centers around the world, including London, New York, Chicago, and notable arts capitals where great theater is frequently developed and presented. 

Chris Bush’s Orlando (FL) is a story of transformation, translation, and resistance. This London workshop reading was directed by Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg (Operation Epsilon, Shida). The cast included Fisayo Akinade (The Crucible, Heartstopper); Olivier Award winner Matthew Kelly (Stars in Their Eyes, Game for a Laugh); Lesley Lemon (Rare Earth Mettle); Serena Manteghi (The Diplomat, The Hound of the Baskervilles); Fizz Sinclair (Chris Bush’s Other Land, The Simple Life & Death, Modest), Cherrelle Skeete (Alterations, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child);  Eleanor Sutton (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Jane Eyre, Amadeus), Olivier Award nominee Laura Pitt–Pulford (Chris Bush’s Standing at the Sky’s Edge, Sunset Boulevard), and EM Williams (Captain Corelli’s Mandolin).

HMTA winners are nominated and selected by a jury of recognized arts leaders in the field of theater. The 2024 Award Committee that selected Chris Bush included Michael Grandage, Tony and Olivier-Award winning director of stage and screen, former Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse, and current Artistic Director of the Michael Grandage Company; Tessa Ross, CBE and BAFTA Award-winning Co-CEO of House Productions; and Indhu Rubasingham, Director of the National Theatre, Olivier Award-winning director, and former Artistic Director of the Kiln Theatre.

Previous recipients of the Hermitage Major Theater Award include Madeleine George, Shariffa Ali, and Imani Uzuri. California-based playwright Naomi Iizuka was announced in January as the fifth recipient of the HMTA. The Hermitage will present a workshop reading of her original commission in Chicago in the fall of 2026.

Hermitage Presents New Play Commission from Hermitage Major Theater Award Winner Chris Bush

The Hermitage Artist Retreat announced today that the Hermitage, with support from the National Theatre New Work Department, will present a London workshop of the newly commissioned play Orlando (FL), written by Olivier Award winner Chris Bush (Standing at the Sky’s Edge), the 2024 recipient of the Hermitage Major Theater Award (HMTA). This will be the first London workshop presented by the Hermitage, and the invitation-only presentation will be directed by Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg (Operation Epsilon).

Chris Bush is an award-winning playwright, lyricist, and theater maker based in the United Kingdom. Her comprehensive body of work includes Standing at the Sky’s Edge, which won her an Olivier Award and a UK Theatre Award for Best Musical. Following sold-out runs at the National Theatre and Sheffield Theatres, the acclaimed production transferred to the West End, where it was described as “the most exciting new British musical in years” (WhatsOnStage) and heralded as “a moving and resonant piece of popular entertainment — magnificent and meaningful” (The Times). This was followed by the premiere of Chris Bush’s play Other Land at the Almeida Theatre. Raised in Sheffield, England, Chris Bush currently lives in London. The Hermitage present this reading of Bush’s new play Orlando (FL) to an invitation-only audience. Her original commission is coming to fruition less than two years from the date the recipient learned of her recognition. 

In addition to serving as Artistic Director and CEO of the Hermitage, Andy Sandberg is a director, writer, and Tony Award-winning producer whose theatrical work has been represented in New York, London, and throughout the U.S. He has directed the U.K. premieres of Alan Brody’s Operation Epsilon (Southwark Playhouse) and Jeannette Bayardelle’s Shida (The Vaults), earning multiple Off West End Award nominations, including Best Director and Best Musical. Additional world premieres as director in New York include Straight (Off-Broadway, NY Times Critics’ Pick); Application Pending (also co-author; BroadwayWorld Award: Best Off-Broadway Play, Drama Desk nom., Book Pipeline Prize); Operation Epsilon (four IRNE Awards, including Best Play, Best Director); Shida (Ars Nova and A.R.T., four AUDELCO noms., including Best Director, Best Musical); Craving for Travel (also co-author); and The Last Smoker in America, among others.

Chris Bush’s Orlando (FL) is a story of transformation, translation, and resistance – a queer fantasia set against a backdrop of rising hate, and a funny, furious, and defiant testament to the power of literature and the importance of community. The play commences on November 5th, 2024. It’s Lana’s 29th birthday. There’s some other ‘stuff’ going on tonight as well, but she’s trying her best to ignore it. Lana is a young trans woman in Orlando, Florida, dreaming of stardom and living in denial. Then crashing into her life headfirst comes Orlando, the freewheeling, gender-switching protagonist of Woolf’s iconic novel. Orlando is sexy, confident, unguarded – when Lana is with her, another world seems possible.

The Hermitage Major Theater Award was established in 2021 to recognize a playwright or theater artist with a substantial commission to create a new, original, and impactful piece of theater. This national, jury-selected award, established by the Hermitage with generous support from Flora Major and the Kutya Major Foundation, offers one of the largest nonprofit theater commissions in the country. Bush receives a cash prize of $35,000, as well as a residency at the Hermitage Artist Retreat (Sarasota County, Florida), plus a developmental workshop and reading in London. The prize is intended to bridge the connection between the Hermitage, where the commission is born, and other leading arts and culture centers around the world, including London, New York, Chicago, and notable arts capitals where great theater is frequently developed and presented. 

HMTA winners are nominated and selected by a jury of recognized arts leaders in the field of theater. The 2024 Award Committee that selected Chris Bush included Michael Grandage, Tony and Olivier-Award winning director of stage and screen, former Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse, and current Artistic Director of the Michael Grandage Company; Tessa Ross, CBE and BAFTA Award-winning Co-CEO of House Productions; and Indhu Rubasingham, Director of the National Theatre, Olivier Award-winning director, and former Artistic Director of the Kiln Theatre.

“It is truly an honor to be working with Chris Bush and the National Theatre to present the first workshop of Chris’ extraordinary play Orlando (FL),” said Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “It has been thrilling to see the work that’s come to life from past HMTA recipients Madeleine George, Shariffa Ali, and Imani Uzuri and it is incredibly exciting to be seeing Chris Bush’s original play now coming to fruition. Chris is an extraordinary talent, and it’s a privilege to play a role in supporting her artistic journey. We must also thank Flora Major for making this opportunity possible, and our brilliant jury for introducing Chris to the Hermitage.”

Casting for the first workshop of Orlando (FL) includes actors of stage and screen, including FisayoAkinade (The Crucible, Heartstopper); Olivier Award winner Matthew Kelly (Stars in Their Eyes, Game for a Laugh); Lesley Lemon (Rare Earth Mettle); Serena Manteghi (The Diplomat, The Hound of the Baskervilles); Fizz Sinclair (Chris Bush’s Other Land, The Simple Life & Death Modest), Cherrelle Skeete (Alterations, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child); Eleanor Sutton (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Jane Eyre, Amadeus), Olivier Award nominee Laura Pitt–Pulford (Chris Bush’s Standing at the Sky’s Edge, Sunset Boulevard), and EM Williams (Captain Corelli’s Mandolin).

Upon announcing Bush as the fourth recipient of the HMTA, 2024 Award Committee member Michael Grandage said, “The Hermitage Major Theater Award is an incredible opportunity for an artist to develop their craft “and Chris Bush is a hugely talented playwright who has already demonstrated that big ideas can change the world.” National Theater Director Indhu Rubasingham added, “Chris Bush is an artist the theater world cannot ignore, and this award from the Hermitage offers her the opportunity to make a work that is deeply personal… a powerful play that I can’t wait to see.” HMTA juror Tessa Ross shared, “Chris is an exciting, brave writer, and we feel very proud to be able to support the next stage of her journey with this wonderful award.” 

Three distinguished finalists for the fourth Hermitage Major Theater Award included Natasha Gordon,an Olivier Award-nominated British playwright and actor of Jamaican descent, whose play Nine Nightenjoyed a sold-out run at the National Theatre before transferring to Trafalgar Studios; Beth Steel, an award-winning playwright whose new play Till the Stars Come Down recently transferred from the National Theatre to the West End; and Sam Steiner, an accomplished playwright and screenwriter whose West End play Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons has been performed all over the world. Each finalist has been awarded a Hermitage residency and Fellowship, in addition to a cash prize of $1,500.

Past recipients of the Hermitage Major Theater Award include Madeleine George (2021), who is a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her play The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence, and served as a writer and producer for Hulu’s hit series “Only Murders in the Building.” George presented the first full-length reading of her new play The Sore Loser New York’s MCC Theater in 2023. Theater-maker and director Shariffa Aliwas selected as the second recipient of the Hermitage Major Theater Award. Ali shared an in-process presentation of her newly devised work Hero for an invitation-only audience in late 2023, also at MCC Theater. Imani Uzuri, the third HMTA recipient, is a composer, vocalist, librettist, improviser, and lyricist. The Hermitage collaborated with New York Theatre Workshop in 2024 to present this concert reading of Uzuri’s new musical Lighthouse of the Singing Birds. California-based playwright Naomi Iizuka was announced in January as the fifth recipient of the Hermitage Major Theater Award. The Hermitage will present a workshop reading of her original commission in Chicago in the fall of 2026. 

Composer Harriet Steinke Wins 2025 Hermitage Prize in Composition 

The Hermitage Artist Retreat and the Aspen Music Festival and School (Aspen, Colorado) are pleased to announce Harriet Steinke, a composition student at AMFS, has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Hermitage Prize in Composition. Steinke is the twelfth recipient of this annual award, which includes a residency at the Hermitage, made possible with generous support from Friends of the Hermitage in Aspen. 

Steinke was selected by a jury that includes multiple Grammy Award winner Robert Spano, Music Director of the AMFS, Artistic Director Laureate of the Atlanta Symphony, and a past member of the Hermitage Curatorial Council; award-winning composer and celebrated arts administrator Alan Fletcher, AMFS President and CEO; and the composition faculty of the AMFS, including Grammy Award-winning Hermitage Fellow Christopher Theofanidis.

Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg presented the award to Steinke at the Aspen Music Festival’s Klein Tent, alongside Spano, Fletcher, and Theofanidis. This unique initiative, launched in 2013, reflects an invaluable partnership between AMFS and the Hermitage, designed to champion new and original works and to recognize exceptional talent in the field of contemporary classical music. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of this award in 2023, the Hermitage and AMFS produced a retrospective video featuring exclusive interviews with past winners, distinguished AMFS faculty members, and renowned thought leaders in music, which can be seen here (full URL link below). With established composers like Spano, Fletcher, Theofanidis, Nico Muhly, and more having experienced memorable Hermitage Fellowships, the Hermitage Prize in Composition was created to offer the same experience to young, talented composers just beginning their professional careers.

“We are thrilled to recognize Harriet Steinke as the winner of the twelfth annual Hermitage Prize,” noted Sandberg. “Harriet is a brilliant young composer whose work has been heard across the United States, and we know she will a welcome addition to the Hermitage community. We were delighted that the weekend’s festivities could be celebrated alongside fellow Hermitage alumni including Robert Spano, Alan Fletcher, and Christopher Theofanidis. We are grateful for our continuing collaboration with the Aspen Music Festival, which just presented the world premiere of Siddhartha, She – an original opera conceived and developed at the Hermitage by five Hermitage Fellows.”

The Hermitage Prize at AMFS is the only student residency awarded each year; all other Hermitage Fellows are accomplished working professionals and leaders in their fields, selected by the Hermitage’s National Curatorial Council. This provides the recipient of the annual Hermitage Prize in Composition the opportunity to share this unmatched Hermitage experience with leading artists from all around the world. 

This year’s season of the world-renowned Aspen Music Festival featured works and performances from Hermitage alumni including AMFS Music Director Robert Spano, AMFS President Alan Fletcher, Patrick Harlin, Jessie Montgomery, Anne Patterson, Melissa Studdard, Christopher Theofanidis, and Conrad Tao. 

Hermitage Fellows have included 18 Pulitzer Prize winners, multiple Grammy, Oscar, Emmy, and Tony winners, Poets Laureate, MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellows, and more. Hermitage Fellows regularly describe their time at the Hermitage as “magical,” “transformative,” and “life-changing.”

2025 Hermitage Prize in Composition winner Harriet Steinke is a concert-music composer from Michigan. She has worked with chamber ensembles, orchestras, and soloists across the United States, and has premiered multiple works in her hometown city of Detroit. Her music has been recognized with a Charles Ives Scholarship Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, as well as composition fellowships from summer festivals at Aspen, Tanglewood, and Norfolk. She holds degrees in music and English from Butler University and two graduate degrees in music composition from the Yale School of Music. 

“I am extremely grateful to be awarded this year’s Hermitage Prize in Composition,” said Steinke. “For a composer, the most valuable resource is the time and space to be creative and explore our ideas, without distraction from the outside world. It is an incredible privilege to have this opportunity to create new work at the Hermitage. I cannot wait to join the amazing community of artists that have also spent time at this beautiful and inspiring place, and I look forward to the new musical work I’ll create during my residency.”

Following the award presentation on the stage of the Klein Tent, Steinke was recognized at a reception hosted by Marsha and David Dowler in celebration of the Hermitage Prize and the AMFS composition program. At this event, Steinke’s original work “Processional” was debuted by the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble (ACE), conducted by Timothy Weiss.

Previous residencies of AMFS Hermitage Prize recipients have led to exciting collaborations, lifelong friendships, and extraordinary new compositions. The first winner of this award in 2013 was Patrick Harlin. While in residence at the Hermitage, Harlin met acclaimed designer and visual artist Anne Patterson. The two sparked a decade-long collaboration that led to the world premiere exhibition, “The Truth of the Night Sky,” at the Sarasota Art Museum in the fall of 2024. Harlin and Patterson also spent time at the Hermitage with AMFS composer Christopher Theofanidis and celebrated poet Melissa Studdard; as a result, these four Hermitage alumni began a multi-year collaboration which led to the recent world premiere of Siddhartha, She at the Aspen Music Festival. Adapted from Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha, this original opera developed at the Hermitage featured music by Christopher Theofanidis, a libretto by Melissa Studdard, design and direction by Anne Patterson, soundscape design by Patrick Harlin, and music direction by Robert Spano – all five Hermitage alumni. This newly created work received a robust standing ovation and critical acclaim at the Aspen Music Festival on August 2, 2025. 

“I cannot adequately describe how grateful I feel to be at the Hermitage Artist Retreat this summer,” said last year’s Hermitage Prize winner Hannah Rice of her resulting residency, still ongoing. “Life is so fast-paced for young artists, so to be awarded the time to wake up and watch the sunrise and ground myself is truly a gift. I am so unbelievably inspired by the ocean, the sounds of the birds squawking, and the beauty of mother earth, and I feel so thankful for this invaluable time to get back to child-like play in my music studio. I have also had the opportunity to connect with some incredible, seasoned artists here, and I have learned so much from their insights and experiences. As I approach the end of my time on Manasota Key, I am trying to soak in everything that this gorgeous place and these wonderful people have to offer and to splatter as many sounds against the canvas as I can. It is truly a privilege to be here at the Hermitage, and I keep reminding myself I’m not in a dream!”

Past winner David Clay Mettens (2021) said of winning the Hermitage Prize: “My time at the Hermitage was such a gift – I found the natural beauty of the Hermitage to be rejuvenating and my interactions with artists from other disciplines so artistically fulfilling. I can’t imagine a better opportunity for a young composer than to be in the presence of creative luminaries in their respective fields.” Previous Hermitage Prize recipients include Patrick Harlin (2013), Thomas Kotcheff (2014), Phillip Sink (2015), Andrew Hsu (2016), Joel Thompson (2017), Sid Richardson (2018), Chelsea Komschlies (2019), David Clay Mettens (2021), Sofía Rocha (2022), Matīss Čudars (2023), and Hannah Rice (2024).

Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens 2025-2026 Dates

The Hermitage Artist Retreat’s popular series, “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens,” continues into its sixth year as part of the Hermitage’s upcoming 2025-2026 season. The outdoor series — a celebrated collaboration between the Hermitage Artist Retreat and Marie Selby Botanical Gardens — features performances and explorations of works-in-progress by Hermitage artists-in-residence and alumni. “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” events are currently scheduled to take place at Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus and the Historic Spanish Point campus in Osprey. 

Newly announced dates for this sixth season of “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” include:

  • Thursday, October 23, 2025, Downtown Sarasota campus
  • Thursday November 20, 2025, Historic Spanish Point campus
  • Thursday January 29, 2026, Downtown Sarasota campus
  • Thursday February 19, 2026, Historic Spanish Point campus
  • Thursday, March 5, 2026, Downtown Sarasota campus
  • Thursday, May 7, 2026, Downtown Sarasota campus

Start times vary with sunset and will be announced when each event opens for registration. Admission for these events has no ticket cost, though availability is subject to capacity limitations at each venue; advance registration is required ($5/person) at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.   

Each program will feature a celebrated Hermitage artist (or artists) to be announced. Last year’s “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” spotlighted the works and talents of 2023 Hermitage Greenfield Prize finalist Britton Smith, internationally celebrated flutist Claire Chase, world-renowned pianist and composer Vijay Iyer, Tony Award-nominated Broadway performer Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, West End composer and lyricist Mark Sonnenblick, acclaimed singer-songwriter Julian Hornik, and 2025 Hermitage Greenfield Prize Winner and sound artist Rucyl Mills. 

Previous seasons of “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” have included Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Michael R. Jackson; celebrated mime and storyteller Bill Bowers; internationally renowned composer and singer Kavita Shah; award-winning Chicago playwright Terry Guest; Kleban Prize winner César Alvarez, world-renowned violinist and Beyoncé collaborator Lady Jess; Hermitage Curatorial Council member Nataki Garrett; acclaimed classical harpist Ashley Jackson; interdisciplinary performance artist Ni’Ja Whitson; opera singer and Sarasota native Thea Lobo; composer Sofía Rocha, winner of the Hermitage Prize in Composition at the Aspen Music Festival; Tony Award-winning Broadway producer Tom Kirdahy; Hermitage Major Theater Award Winner Shariffa Ali; celebrated cellist Karen Patterson; award-winning flutist Emi Ferguson with classical composer Jim Stephenson; and more.

“This sixth season of ‘Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens’ promises to be another memorable one,” says Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “Last year’s programming was instrumental in lifting our community’s spirits after the impacts of an unprecedented hurricane season. The forthcoming lineup will once again introduce audiences to some of the most dynamic artists and performers of our generation – six magical evenings set against the backdrop of these beautiful bayfront sanctuaries. This popular series has been a joyous collaboration with our friends at Selby Gardens, and we look forward welcoming new and returning audiences to experience a ‘sneak peek’ into the creative process of our leading artists, writers, and performers. 

“We are so excited to celebrate six years of this wonderful collaboration with the Hermitage Artist Retreat,” says Selby Gardens President & CEO Jennifer Rominiecki. “Welcoming world-class Hermitage artists to our expanded bayfront sanctuary at our Downtown Sarasota and vibrant Historic Spanish Point campuses is something we look forward to each year. Treating Gulf Coast patrons to these special programs has been such a joy, and we are thrilled that that the ‘Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens’ series continues to flourish.” 

These outdoor events are one part of many ongoing programs and collaborations planned throughout the season, spanning Sarasota County, Charlotte County, Manatee County, Lee County, and the surrounding region. The programs feature industry-leading playwrights, visual artists, musicians, poets, choreographers, and more — all free to the members of our community with a $5/person registration fee.