Rising comedian and acclaimed violist Isabel Hagen makes her highly anticipated stand-up debut with At The Bitter End, a sharp, original comedy special filmed live at the legendary The Bitter End in New York City.
The special is now streaming on YouTube.
Blending razor-sharp stand-up with her unique musical background, Hagen delivers an unforgettable performance that explores the absurdities of being a classically trained musician, navigating anxiety, confronting mortality, and ultimately finding humor in life’s most uncomfortable truths. True to form, she seamlessly weaves in live viola performance, creating a one-of-a-kind comedy experience that’s as technically impressive as it is deeply funny.
Hagen has quickly become one of the most distinctive voices in comedy.
She was featured on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and was named a New Face of Comedy at the prestigious Just for Laughs festival in Montréal. Her path to stand-up is anything but traditional—she began performing comedy immediately after earning both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in viola performance from Juilliard School.
In addition to her success in comedy, Hagen has built an impressive career as a musician, touring with Vampire Weekend and collaborating with artists including Ed Sheeran, Max Richter, The National, and Steve Reich.
Expanding her creative reach even further, Hagen is also an accomplished filmmaker. Her debut feature film, On a String, which she wrote, directed, and starred in, premiered at the Tribeca Festival in 2025, where it won Best Screenplay in a U.S. Narrative Feature.
At The Bitter End captures Hagen at a pivotal moment—bridging the worlds of classical music and stand-up comedy with intelligence, vulnerability, and a refreshing originality that sets her apart.
Watch “At The Bitter End” now on YouTube.
