May 06, 2026

Isabel Hagen - likes a good viola joke

32 minutes

Comedian Isabel Hagen is a classically trained violist, and a filmmaker. As a comedian, she has been featured on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and was a New Face of Comedy at the Just for Laughs festival in Montréal. She talks to Manny about how the viola can be funny and make people love classical music by making them laugh!

Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax.

Harold en Italie, S. 472/R. 138: I. Harold aux montagnes

Berlioz

Philip Dukes & Piers Lane

Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 83: I. Allegro non troppo

Brahms

Jenő Jandó & Brussels Philharmonic & Ali Rahbari

Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67: I. Allegro con brio

Beethoven

Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra & Richard Edlinger

Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

The Star-Spangled Banner

John Stafford Smith

Marine Band of the Royal Netherlands Navy & Keith Brion

Listen and Subscribe to Classical Music Happy Hour wherever you get your podcasts.

Credits

Classical Music Happy Hour is supported in part by the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation and by Linda Nelson.

Our production team includes Lauren Purcell-Joiner, Eileen Delahunty, Laura Boyman, Elizabeth Nonamaker, David Norville, Christine Herskovits, and Ed Yim.

Our engineering team includes George Wellington, Irene Trudel, and Chase Culpon.

Classical Music Happy Hour is produced by WQXR in partnership with Carnegie Hall.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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By WNYC, WQXR

4.8

238238 ratings

May 06, 2026

Isabel Hagen - likes a good viola joke

32 minutes

Our theme song is Schumann’s Arabeske in C Major, Op. 18 performed by our host, Emanuel Ax.

Harold en Italie, S. 472/R. 138: I. Harold aux montagnes

Berlioz

Philip Dukes & Piers Lane

Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 83: I. Allegro non troppo

Brahms

Jenő Jandó & Brussels Philharmonic & Ali Rahbari

Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67: I. Allegro con brio

Beethoven

Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra & Richard Edlinger

Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

The Star-Spangled Banner

John Stafford Smith

Marine Band of the Royal Netherlands Navy & Keith Brion

Listen and Subscribe to Classical Music Happy Hour wherever you get your podcasts.

Credits

Classical Music Happy Hour is supported in part by the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation and by Linda Nelson.

Our production team includes Lauren Purcell-Joiner, Eileen Delahunty, Laura Boyman, Elizabeth Nonamaker, David Norville, Christine Herskovits, and Ed Yim.

Our engineering team includes George Wellington, Irene Trudel, and Chase Culpon.

Classical Music Happy Hour is produced by WQXR in partnership with Carnegie Hall.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

...more