Pulitzer Prize winner Gabriela Lena Frank: Bayer Arts and Culture brings new commissioned work Frida’s Dreams to Europe

Leverkusen, May 8, 2026 – The American composer Gabriela Lena Frank has been awarded this year’s Pulitzer Prize for Music for her work Picaflor: A future myth. Just weeks after this international recognition, a new work by the composer, Frida’s Dreams, will be heard for the first time in Europe as part of Bayer Arts and Culture's stARTfestival. Bayer is one of the partners that made the composition possible in collaboration with international institutions.

Frida’s Dreams was created for the American string quartet Brooklyn Rider on the occasion of its 20th anniversary. The European premiere is scheduled for June 18, 2026, at the Erholungshaus in Leverkusen. The work is part of the Star-Crossed program and is dedicated to Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera – the most famous artist couple of the 20th century from Mexico. Amongst others and next to Bayer Arts and Culture, the piece was made possible by Carnegie Hall and Wigmore Hall.

With this commission, Bayer Arts and Culture's commitment aligns with a practice of promoting contemporary music not only by presenting it but also by actively supporting its creation. The fact that a work by a newly awarded Pulitzer Prize winner is now coming to Germany as part of the stARTfestival also highlights the international networking of corporate art sponsorship.

“The award for Gabriela Lena Frank confirms the artistic relevance of a composer whose voice decisively shapes the musical life of our time. The fact that Frida’s Dreams will now be experienced at the stARTfestival exemplifies our aspiration: not only to showcase new music but to actively enable its creation with international partners,” says Christoph Böhmke, head of Bayer Arts and Culture.

“We are absolutely thrilled that our longtime friend and musical companion Gabriela Lena Frank has been honored with the prestigious Pulitzer Prize! Few are more deserving: from her boundless imagination to her passionate dedication to her craft and her impressive role in fostering the next generation of composers – she is a treasure. Her colorful, poignant work Frida's Dreams for Brooklyn Rider is a string quartet reduction of ideas from her opera El último sueño de Frida y Diego (currently in production at the Metropolitan Opera in New York), a magical-realist portrayal of the Mexican artist couple,” adds Nicholas Cords, founding member of Brooklyn Rider.

Background

Gabriela Lena Frank has been one of the most distinguished voices in American contemporary music for years. The Pulitzer Prize for Music is considered one of the most significant awards for composers worldwide.

“Frida’s Dreams” continues the thematic line of Frank’s work Picaflor: A Future Myth, placing contemporary compositions in a broader cultural context: as a meeting of artistic present, international cooperation, and long-term cultural responsibility.

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health and nutrition. True to its mission “Health for all, Hunger for none,” the company aims to benefit people and the environment with its products and services – by helping to address the fundamental challenges posed by a constantly growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to making a significant contribution to sustainable development through its business. At the same time, the company aims to increase its profitability and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands worldwide for trust, reliability, and quality. In the 2025 fiscal year, the company, with around 88,000 employees, achieved sales of 45.6 billion euros. Research and development expenses amounted to 5.8 billion euros. Further information is available online at www.bayer.com/en

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer’s management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development, or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports, which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com/en. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

Bayer AG is a holding company with globally operating subsidiaries. When referring to "Bayer" or "the company," this may – depending on the context – refer to one or more subsidiaries.