Daron Hagen

Daron Hagen (b. 1961) holds a unique position in American music as both an internationally acclaimed concert music and opera composer, and as a pioneering auteur composer-director-writer-editor of operafilm. His internationally laureled Bardo Trilogy films stream worldwide on major platforms including Amazon Prime Video, and are further documented in his forthcoming book, Exploring Operafilm: Making the Bardo Trilogy (McFarland, April 2026). Hagen's career spans five decades. He has composed five symphonies, 12 concerti, 13 operas, and over 250 songs. The world's most distinguished ensembles, such as the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic and Seattle Opera, have commissioned his works. His collaborations with Leonard Bernstein, JoAnn Falletta, Lukas Foss, Kate Lindsey, Paul Muldoon, Gerard Schwarz, and Gore Vidal reflect his standing among creative leaders.