Susan Hagen
A Boston native, Susan Hagen received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Double Bass Performance from Boston University, graduating with honors as a student of Edwin Barker, principal bass of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
For the past twelve seasons Susan has spent most of her time performing as an extra player with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She is currently principal double bassist of the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, the first female ever to ever hold that position.
About Susan Hagen
For the past 18 seasons Susan has spent most of her time performing as an extra player with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, including touring with them through the US and Canada. She also spends much time performing with the Boston Pops Orchestra and is on many Boston Symphony and Boston Pops recordings. She recently became the principal double bassist of the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, the first female ever to do so, and has been a featured soloist with them. She has toured around with world with them. Additionally, Susan performs with many other groups throughout the Boston area.
Susan is on faculty at Berklee College of Music and is a frequent guest lecturer at Harvard University as well as Boston University. She has been a clinician at the Rochester Bass Retreat, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, the International Online Bass Summit, Oberlin Conservatory, Appalachian State, and Musicians for the World, among others.
Ms. Hagen often performs chamber music with several different Boston-based chamber music groups. Susan performed at the International Society of Bassists Convention in 2015 with world-renowned electric bassist Steve Bailey and continues to collaborate with him. Susan is featured on his latest album entitled “Carolina” and can also be heard on Victor Wooten & Steve Bailey’s newest Bass X-tremes album “S’low Down.”
She loves to perform & premiere new music; since March 2020, Susan has recorded more than 100 pieces (all written after 2010) and has given the World/US/Regional premiere of over 55 pieces in online recitals. In August 2018, Susan gave the US premiere of David Heyes' "Seven Last Words from the Cross" in Rochester, NY, and has also commissioned and/or given premieres of double bass music composed by David Heyes, John Alexander, Humphrey Clucas, Símon García, Lloyd Goldstein, John Kennedy, Rodrigo Mata, Luis Guillermo Pérez, Mary Rae, Peter Byron Smith, P. Kellach Waddle, and Martin Wind, among others.
Also since March 2020, Susan has given twelve solo recitals and has teamed up with her father, guitarist/electric bassist Roy Hagen, arranging and performing music of many genres - from French art songs to current pop tunes. All the money raised at these concerts has been donated to charities around the world. Susan was invited to perform a solo recital in honor of Teppo Hauta-aho and Frank Proto at the International Society of Bassists’ 2021 Virtual Convention and again in recitals & as a presenter at the ISB’s 2022 mini convention and several ISB Center Stage virtual events as well as at the 2023 ISB convention in Michigan.
Susan recently published a second edition of her book of Warm Ups for double bassists called “BASSics of Bass” which can be purchased on her website or at https://shop.doublebasshq.com/products/bassicsofbass She also has a highly acclaimed podcast called Bass-Talk with Hagen & Heyes which has received international acclaim.
In recent seasons Susan has been a soloist with the Harvard Summer School Orchestra, Boston Conservatory String Ensemble, the Warren (Ohio) Philharmonic, the Waltham (MA) Philharmonic, the Sharon Community Chamber Orchestra, and the Northshore Philharmonic Orchestra. In November of 2022, she gave the US premiere of Simón García’s Concerto for Amplified Double Bass & Strings with the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra (MA) and again with the Northshore Philharmonic in April 2023.
This season Susan will perform the Garcís Concerto with the Wellesley Symphony in November and again with the New Hampshire Philharmonic, in April 2024. She will perform as principal double bass with the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra as they tour Japan, and run and perform in the “Koussevitzky Connections April 2024” event in & around Boston – check her website for more details.
Find Susan on her website & Social Media:
www.susanphagen.com
www.bass-talk.com
You Tube Channels: Susan Hagen Bass & Bass-Talk with Hagen & Heyes
Facebook: Susan Hagen
Instagram: @SusanBassista
