GatherNYC: Isabel Hagen, viola + comedy

GatherNYC presents Isabel Hagen, a stand-up comedian and classically trained violist. As a stand-up, she has been featured on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon multiple times, and as a New Face of Comedy at the prestigious Just for Laughs festival in Montréal. Isabel started stand-up immediately after earning her bachelor's and master's degrees in viola performance from the Juilliard School. As a violist, she has played in the orchestra of many Broadway shows, and worked with artists such as Vampire Weekend, Bjork, Max Richter, and Steve Reich. You might be wondering if Isabel ever combines comedy and viola. The answer: sometimes!

GatherNYC is a revolutionary concert experience founded in 2018 by cellist Laura Metcalf and guitarist Rupert Boyd. The 2025-2026 season includes 31 concerts that run from October 2025 through May 2026, with concerts held every Sunday at 11am in The Theater at MAD.

Guests at GatherNYC are served exquisite live classical music performed by New York's immensely talented artists, artisanal coffee and pastries, a taste of spoken word, and a brief celebration of silence. The entire experience lasts one hour and evokes the community and spiritual nourishment of a religious service – but the religion is music, and all are welcome. Coffee and pastries are served before each performance at 10:30am.


Category: Community | Local / Community