Orchestra attendees expect to hear classical compositions. But electronic dance music (EDM)? Not so much. Yet this February, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) will debut a new composition from Mt. Lebanon native Hannah Ishizaki, which she described as a blend of Viennese waltz and EDM.

A year ago, PSO asked her to create a new piece for the February 2025 performance with conductor Manfred Honeck. “I was really honored to be asked by Mary Persin, the VP of Artistic Planning, and Manfred Honeck to write this piece,” said Ishizaki.

Inspiration for the 25-year-old composer’s new piece, Spin, is twofold. Ishizaki’s compositions are heavily inspired by dance, and February is the month of dance in Vienna, Honeck’s hometown. Thus, she combined Viennese waltz and EDM, which may be different on surface level, yet “both music meant for people to dance to,” said Ishizaki.

“There’s some music cognition studies that I’ve read recently, that have found EDM really influences people to move,” she added. “I wanted to take some of these electronic sounds and electronic elements, try to recreate them with just acoustic instruments, and create a piece that evokes this feeling of wanting to dance.”

Ishizaki grew up in Mt. Lebanon, where she first developed a love and talent for music. She played violin throughout her childhood and adolescence, participated in chamber, string and full orchestra in high school, and completed an independent study in composition during her senior year. Ishizaki created compositions based off the visual art created by AP art students. The project culminated in a concert with Ishizaki’s music at the annual high school art show, where the accompanying visual pieces were on display.

After leaving Mt. Lebanon, Ishizaki studied composition and violin at The Juilliard School, graduating in 2022. Now, she’s working on her PhD in music composition at Princeton University, expecting to graduate in 2028. Ishizaki has won numerous prestigious awards, including the 2023 Hildegard Commission, Juilliard’s Orchestral Composition Competition and a Kovner Fellowship.

Spin is Ishizaki’s second world premiere with PSO — her first was in 2017, making her the youngest woman to do so in PSO’s history. With her second return, Ishizaki said “I’m very excited to hear the musicians’ interpretation of the piece.”

Spin debuts February 21 and 23 during Ax Plays Mozart at Heinz Hall, performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. More information can be found here.