Isaac Pagano-Toub
Cellist
Isaac Pagano-Toub is a New York and Toronto-based cellist, composer, and improviser known for his stylistic versatility and compelling performances. He is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma at the Glenn Gould School under the tutelage of Hans Jensen and Andres Diaz. Isaac previously earned degrees from the New England Conservatory, studying with Paul Katz, as well as at the Eastman School of Music under David Ying. Other teachers include Steven Doane, Sibylle Johner and Alex Croxton.
He has spent his summers at the National Arts Center Orchestra of Canada Mentorship Program, Fontainebleau School of Music and Fine Arts, Schleswig–Holstein Music Festival, Colorado College Summer Music Festival, and Silkroad’s Global Musician Workshop, among others. Isaac has played in master classes with Gary Hoffman, Richard Aaron, Arnaud Sussman, John Manasse, Clive Greensmith, Natasha Brofsky, and Claudio Bohórquez and played in venues such as Carnegie Hall and Kodak Hall.
An avid orchestral and chamber musician, Isaac toured Germany in 2024 as a featured soloist with pianist Lang Lang, performing The Swan by Saint-Saëns with the Schleswig–Holstein Music Festival Orchestra. In 2022, Isaac won the Eastman School of Music cello concerto competition and performed the Cello Concerto of Elgar with the Eastman Philharmonia Orchestra. In 2019, Isaac played the Vivaldi Double Cello Concerto with the CMC orchestra in multiple venues across New York and Italy. He returned as a guest artist in 2020 and played the third movement of Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C Major with the CMC orchestra. As a composer, Isaac was the recipient of the 2024 Intercultural Institute Competition at NEC and the Make Music Alliance’s 2021 Young Composers Contest.
At NEC, Isaac spent much of his time involved in the Contemporary Musical Arts (formerly Contemporary Improvisation) department, where he studied many styles including jazz, Jewish music, Turkish classical music, American roots, Brazilian choro and more.
Isaac has amassed a large body of original compositions including chamber music, concerti, choral music, film scores, and orchestral works and has had works performed by the Eastman School Symphony Orchestra and the Eastman Philharmonia Orchestra as well as other professionals such as baritone Christopher Herbert and the CMC Chamber Music Players. His most recent work was premiered at the Opus One winery in Napa Valley. He is currently working on creating a new style of Jewish art music, combining elements of cantorial music, klezmer, impressionism, and neo romanticism. His mentors include Kevin Puts, Carlos Sanchez Gutierrez, Hankus Netsky, and Alex Yagupsky.
As a native New Yorker growing up in a musical family, Isaac has been playing chamber music since the age of 4. His interest in filmmaking as a young boy is often reflected in his compositions. He has no pets and gave up soccer to practice the cello.
