Jay Hagen is a trumpet player and music educator who is adept at a wide range of musical styles. After growing up in Rochester, NY, Jay studied at the Berklee College of Music for two years, received his BS in Music Education from Nazareth College of Rochester, and his MM in Jazz and Contemporary Media from the Eastman School of Music. While at Eastman, Jay played lead trumpet with the Downbeat Award-winning Eastman Jazz Ensemble, directed the Jazz Workshop Ensemble, taught the Trumpet Methods class, and won the Graduate Teaching Assistant Prize for excellence in teaching. Jay has been privileged to study with several great trumpet teachers including Victor Paz, Laurie Frink, Barabara Butler, Paul Smoker, Lou Mucci, Wes Hensel, Mike Metheny and Richard Jones.
As a freelance trumpet player in the Rochester area, Jay performed with visiting artists Steve & Eydie, Marion MacPartland, the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Joe Feeney, and was a member of several popular groups such as The Legendary Dukes, Nik & the Nice Guys, Convertibles, Rockin' Roz & the Knights of Soul and Orquesta Antonetti. He also hosted the "Jazzberry Jam" session at Jazzberry's night club, which was featured on NPR Radio. After a brief stint as musician and bandleader for Norwegian and Royal cruise lines, Jay moved to New York City where he now lives with his wife, Victoria.
Since 2000, Jay has held the Principal Trumpet chair with the New York Repertory Orchestra, and with them has performed for the Music Festival of the Hamptons, the Chinese New Year Global Gala (broadcast worldwide from Radio City Music Hall on NTD Television), and recorded on the the soundtrack for the motion picture "Casi Casi" which recently aired on HBO. Jay's discography includes "Committed To Soul" by The Legendary Dukes, "It's All True" by Joe Matzzie Beyond Belief, "I Blame You" by Michael Shelley, "A Tribute to the Big Bands" and "Latin Latitudes" by Jerry Drake and the Front Page Big Band, "Julia" by Tao Zervas, and "You & Me" by The Walkmen. He also remains in high demand as a club date musician in the New York City area, performing regularly with the band 52nd Street Swing, among others.
Jay has extensive experience as a music educator, and has been teaching Instrumental Music with the Mount Vernon City School District (Mt. Vernon, NY) since 1997. He has also directed Band programs at Adlai Stevenson High School (Bronx, NY), Poly Prep Country Day School (Brooklyn, NY) and McQuaid Jesuit High School (Rochester, NY). In addition, Jay has taught trumpet lessons for the Eastman School of Music Summer High School Program, the New Horizons Band Program, the Nazareth College Preparatory Dept., the Atlas Music Company, New York Pops "Salute to Music" and the City Music Schools (NYC).
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