“Hope” is the thing with feathers is an an art song for soprano and piano accompaniment that sets the text of Emily Dickinson’s poem of the same name to music. This work was commissioned by Cristina Loyola in 2023.

This piece was inspired by moments during Francisco’s undergraduate studies in which she wanted to quit composing and music altogether, and the realization she later experienced that she still enjoyed composing and that she wanted to continue with music and pursue graduate studies.

This art song was premiered in April 2024 at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia by Cristina Loyola and Stephen Coxe.