Isaac Pagano

Isaac Pagano is a cellist, composer, and improviser based in the NY/Boston area. He is currently pursuing his master’s at New England Conservatory with Paul Katz. Before that, he studied at the Eastman School of Music with David Ying and at the Chamber Music Center of New York with Sibylle Johner in high school. He has spent his summers at Meadowmount School of Music, Bowdoin International Music Festival and Castleman Quartet Program. Isaac has played in masterclasses with Arnaud Sussman, John Manasse, Clive Greensmith, Natasha Brofsky, and Claudio Bohórquez and played in venues such as Carnegie Hall and Kodak Hall. In 2022, Isaac won the Eastman School of Music cello concerto competition and performed with the Eastman Philharmonia Orchestra. Also in 2022, Isaac received a spot on the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra sub list, where he played regularly for over a year. Isaac has won competitions for his compositions including the 2024 Intercultural Institute Competition at NEC and the Make Music Alliance’s 2021 Young Composers Contest. Isaac has amassed a large body of works including chamber music, choral music, film scores and orchestral works and has had works played by the Eastman School Symphony Orchestra and the Eastman Philharmonia Orchestra as well as other professionals like baritone Christopher Herbert and the CMC Chamber Music Players.