Emerging Composer Honored for Evocative Work “In Air, On Stone,” Inspired by the Château’s Centuries of Stillness and Light
July 30, 2025 (Napa Valley, CA) — Opus One, one of the world’s most celebrated wineries, and Fontainebleau Schools of Music and Fine Arts, a model of cross-cultural collaboration within the global music world for over a century, are pleased to announce Sofia Jen Ouyang as the recipient of the inaugural Opus One International Prize for Composition. Her winning piece “In Air, On Stone,” was selected from a competitive group of emerging composers participating in the 2025 Les Écoles d’Art Américaines de Fontainebleau (EAAF) summer program at Château de Fontainebleau.
As the inaugural winner, Sofia will be formally named Composer in Residence at Opus One on September 13, 2025, when she and her fellow musicians from Fontainebleau will perform “In Air, On Stone” at the iconic Napa Valley winery. She will also compose a new work inspired by Opus One’s architectural beauty and harvest season, which will premiere in September 2026, alongside next year’s prize recipient. Ouyang’s winning composition draws on the atmosphere and architecture of the château, channeling the weight of its centuries-old history and the quiet poetry of its spaces.
A rising voice in contemporary classical music, Ouyang is known for work that expressively and critically engages with the world. She is a two-time BMI Composer Award winner (2023, 2024), and her music has been performed at venues such as Lincoln Center, the Lucerne Festival, and the Arvo Pärt Center. Ouyang has collaborated with leading ensembles including Ensemble Modern, JACK Quartet, and the Juilliard Orchestra. She is currently a doctoral candidate in composition at Columbia University, where she also earned undergraduate degrees in Music and Philosophy.
“Château de Fontainebleau is a place where history lingers in quiet layers, where light moves across stone and breath seems to settle into the walls—In Air, On Stone drifts through spaces where time pools and silence gathers,” says Ouyang of her piece. “Light glides along distant corridors, glancing over tapestries and stonework worn by centuries; histories rest quietly beneath the surface of walls that seem to breathe. Within the stillness, flashes erupt and vanish—sharp bursts of energy flickering through suspended space. Stillness and motion entangle, breath held and released, as presence—restless, fragile—hovers in midair, like memory suspended in the château’s vast, listening halls.”
The Opus One International Prize for Composition was established in 2025 as part of a transatlantic collaboration between Opus One Winery and the Fontainebleau Schools of Music and Fine Arts. Each year, five scholarships are awarded to young composers to study at the Château de Fontainebleau, with one selected to receive the prize and residency.
“Sofia’s piece is an exquisite reflection of place, atmosphere, and emotion,” says Diana Ligeti, Artistic Director of the Fontainebleau Schools. “It exemplifies the spirit of this program: merging history and imagination into a singular artistic voice.”
The Opus One International Prize for Composition initiative builds on Opus One’s long-standing support of the arts, rooted in the vision of its founders, Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Robert Mondavi. The name “Opus”—suggested by the Baron himself—symbolizes a masterwork and reflects the winery’s belief in the intersection of craftsmanship and cultural expression.
For more information on Opus One visit: www.opusonewinery.com and for more information on Fontainebleau Schools of Music and Fine Arts visit: https://fontainebleauschools.org/
About Opus One Winery
Opus One was born in 1978 from a visionary partnership between Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Bordeaux and Robert Mondavi of Napa Valley. Meeting at the storied Château Mouton Rothschild, the two vintners laid the foundation for a wine that would transcend borders: a singular Bordeaux-style blend crafted from Napa Valley grapes, brought to life through the collaboration of French and American winemakers. Bound by a shared commitment to excellence and innovation, they were not only creators of exceptional wines but also dedicated patrons of the arts. Their partnership was driven by both craftsmanship and culture, which led them to name their endeavor Opus One, a reflection of their first great composition as a wine created to be a work of art.
