Filipino-American composer Susie Ibarra (Facebook)
By Carissa Alcantara
Published May 13, 2025 11:57 am
Pinoy pride indeed!
Filipino-American composer and percussionist Susie Ibarra won the Pulitzer Prize for Music for her work "Sky Land," which features an eight-piece ensemble inspired by the rainforests of Luzon.
"Sky Land" premiered on July 18, 2024, in New York commissioned by the Asia Society. Susie mentioned in a statement that "the composition draws from the rainforest ecosystems of Luzon and explores themes of biodiversity, climate change, and community practices. Traditional Philippine sounds featured in the piece include Northern-style bamboo instruments, gongs, and the flute."
The premiere performance featured an eight-piece ensemble, including Ibarra herself, flutist Claire Chase, pianist Alex Peh, and members of the Bergamot Quartet.
Her fellow nominees were Jalalu-Kalvert Nelson for "Jim is Still Crowing" and George Lewis for "The Comet."
The Pulitzer Board praised the composition for “challenging the notion of the compositional voice by intertwining the profound musicianship and improvisational skills of a soloist as a creative tool.” Ibarra received a $15,000 (P830,000) together with her fellow recipients.
Founder of Susie Ibarra Studios and Habitat Sound, the Fil-Am composer works at the intersection of sound, sustainability, and social justice.
Well-known venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Museum of Modern Art have displayed Susie's work. In addition to that, she is also a co-founder of Song of the Bird King, an organization dedicated to preserving indigenous music and ecological knowledge in the Philippines.
Raised in Houston by her Filipino parents, Ibarra is trained in both Western classical music and the Philippine kulintang tradition.
Like Susie, several Filipino-Americans have won the Pulitzer Prize, including Bryan Acohido, Alex Tizon, Jose Antonio Vargas, and Cheryl Diaz.
Other Pulitzer Prize winners include the late diplomat Carlos P. Romulo in 1942 and writer Manny Mogato in 2018.
