Isabel Hagen

Isabel Hagen was born in New York City, New York, and grew up in Manhattan. She started playing the violin at age 5 and switched to the viola aged 10.[3] At age 12 she joined the pre-college program at the Juilliard School where she studied with Kenji Bunch for six years.[2] She went on to study at the Juilliard School where she earned a bachelor's degree in 2013 and a master's degree in 2015 in viola performance.[3]

Hagen has toured internationally with the American Contemporary Music Ensemble, Alarm Will Sound, and Ensemble Signal.[1][4] As a pit musician she performed in several Broadway productions including Les Miserables, Fiddler on the Roof, The Lion King, and Rocktopia.[3][1] She has worked with artists including Björk, Max Richter, The National, and Steve Reich.[3][1][4] In June 2022 Hagen was featured at the 2022 American Viola Society Festival & 47th International Viola Congress.[5]

During her sophomore year Hagen made a YouTube video How to Convince People You're Really Good at Chamber Music inspired by Jenna Marbles' How to Trick People into Thinking You're Good Looking. The positive responses among conservatory students gave her the confidence to pursue comedy.[6] While getting her master's degree Hagen started participating in open mic nights when she developed repetitive stress syndrome and could not practice for a couple of months.[3][6][1][2] She pursued stand-up comedy while working as a freelance violist. After four years she started integrating her viola into her work as a comedian.[6][1] Hagen won first place in the 2019 One Liner Madness competition at The Bell House in Brooklyn.[7] In July 2019 Hagen was one of the New Faces of Comedy at the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal.[7] She became known to a larger audience on March 11, 2020, when she appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. She made a second appearance on the show on October 26, 2022, this time including her viola in her performance.[3][6] Hagen has also appeared on the show with musical guests on multiple occasions.[7][4]

From 2020 to 2021 Hagen hosted the podcast Good Timing with Isabel Hagen in which she talked with other artists about the creative process and performance anxiety.[1]

In 2020 Hagen starred in the web series Is A Violist which she also wrote and directed.[3] As of 2023 she is developing a feature-length film for which she has also written the script and in which she is to star.[3]

• Isabel Hagen