An Aspinwall pianist will have his original composition played on the world stage.
Danny English, a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University School of Music, is the winner of the 2026 World Piano Day International Composition Competition in Antwerp, Belgium.
“Sunset in Värmland,” his piece for piano and orchestra, will have its world premiere Saturday at AMUZ concert hall in Antwerp for World Piano Day festivities.
“(The piece) is inspired by the quiet, glowing light of a Scandinavian evening when the day slowly gives way to night,” said Johan Famaey, artistic director of World Piano Day Antwerp.
“The piece moves from a sense of stillness and reflection toward a more expansive, luminous climax before fading back into a calm, almost fragile atmosphere.
“It makes rich use of color in the strings and woodwinds to mirror the changing shades of the sky.”
English has served as music director at Aspinwall Presbyterian Church for the past decade. His piece, inspired by Otto Hesselbom’s painting of the same name, was selected from a field of international submissions.
English said he was “instantly mesmerized” by Hesselbom’s artwork during an exhibit at the Frick Pittsburgh, a museum in the city’s East End. It depicts the magic of the moment when a glowing Nordic sunset gradually dissolves into twilight and darkness, he said.
“I was captivated by the simplicity but also the amazing color the artist was able to capture in depicting that exact moment where the sun sets,” he said.
“As a person who has spent much time in nature over the years, I have come to really enjoy watching sunsets, and I have many fond memories and experiences with sunsets.”
The painting captured those feelings and struck a special spot emotionally for English.
“It was natural to then go home and set my feelings to music,” he said.
The World Piano Day competition jury was taken by English’s artistry, craftsmanship and emotional impact, Famaey said.
“As a fellow composer, I was struck by the work’s combination of lyrical melody, structural clarity and emotional directness,” Famaey said. “It speaks in a contemporary language but remains very accessible to audiences, and it gives the piano solo and orchestra plenty of space to shine.”
It is the exact type of piece, Famaey said, that the jury was hoping to discover through the international competition.
World Piano Day Antwerp is an annual celebration where performers, composers and audiences converge in the historic surroundings of AMUZ.
English’s premiere underlines a growing artistic link between Pennsylvania and Flanders, the northern portion of Belgium — building bridges between local musical communities and an international stage, Famaey said.
Though the bulk of his work is spent supporting music at the Center Avenue church, English is no stranger to the larger spotlight.
He was named a Suncoast Composer Fellow in 2025, and some of his music was sent into space in 2021 as part of Carnegie Mellon University’s MoonArk Project. English’s music also has appeared in collaborations with the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show and the Pittsburgh 48 Hour Film Project.
Last year, Aspinwall Council recognized his contribution to cultural life by proclaiming April 9 as Danny English Day.
“I am so excited and grateful to have my music performed by a European orchestra, and for the exposure that will come from being a featured composer at this festival at a historic venue,” English said. “I hope the Belgian audience enjoys my piece, and I hope this concert will lead to additional performances of my music here in the States as well as abroad as I continue to compose more and share my work with the world.”