Brian Isaacs

Brian Isaacs, 21, grew up in Queens, New York City and began his musical studies on the violin at age four. After switching to viola in 2014 and graduating from LaGuardia High School in 2018, Brian began his studies at Yale University, where he is presently pursuing a B.A. in Sociology with a Certificate in German and an M.M. in Viola Performance as a student of Ettore Causa. In 2019, Brian joined the New Haven Symphony Orchestra as a section violist and was a top prizewinner in the Anton Rubinstein International Viola Competition in Düsseldorf, Germany. He has served as principal violist with several renowned youth orchestras, including NYO-USA, New York Youth Symphony, and Yale Symphony Orchestra, the latter of which he performed with in Spring 2021 as the soloist in Britten’s Lachrymae for viola and string orchestra. Brian has participated in festivals including the Taos School of Music, NYO-USA, Bowdoin Festival, and New York String Orchestra Seminar.