Brian Isaacs

Brian Isaacs is based in Berlin as a member of the Karajan-Akademie der Berliner Philharmoniker, where he is mentored by Sebastian Krunnies. He studies simultaneously with Tabea Zimmermann as a student in the Konzertexamen program of HfMDK Frankfurt.

In October 2024, Brian won prizes in both the Max Rostal International Viola Competition (2nd Prize, Audience Prize, Commissioned Piece Prize, Special Prize of the Freunde Junger Musiker Berlin) as well as the Oskar Nedbal International Viola Competition (3rd Prize, Martinů Foundation Prize). He has also received awards and prizes from institutions such as the Verbier Festival Academy, Yale University, Frank Huntington Beebe Fund, and international competitions including Grunewald and Rubinstein. Brian has benefited from working in masterclasses with violists such as Misha Amory, Yuri Bashmet, Noemie Bialobroda, Ettore Causa, Nobuko Imai, Lawrence Power, Antoine Tamestit, Steven Tenenbom, Lars Anders Tomter, and Tabea Zimmermann. 

Brian's passion for chamber music has brought him to participate in festivals such as Four Seasons, Geneva Int. String Academy, Gstaad String Academy, La Jolla SummerFest, Methow Valley, NUME, Palm Beach CMS, Taos, Thy, Tonhain Kollektiv, Verbier Festival Academy, Viridian Strings, and Yellow Barn. In summer 2025, Brian will participate in the Marlboro Music Festival.

A native New Yorker and graduate of Yale University, Brian received his MM in Viola Performance, studying with Ettore Causa, and his BA in Sociology. He plays on a modern viola made by Douglas Cox in Vermont, USA.

https://www.brianisaacs.com/about