Daron Hagen
An American composer who builds sprawling, narrative-driven operas and symphonic works with a distinctly theatrical flair.
Born 1961 (age 65)·American composer, writer, and filmmaker·Birthday: November 4·Baby Boomers
Biography
Daron Hagen operates at the busy intersection of contemporary music, theater, and literature. Emerging from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and later studying with figures like Ned Rorem and David Diamond, he quickly established himself not as a system-builder but as a pragmatic storyteller in sound. His output is vast and varied, anchored by a series of operas—like 'Shining Brow' about Frank Lloyd Wright—that showcase his gift for musical characterization and dramatic pacing. Beyond the stage, he has composed concertos, song cycles, and symphonies, often collaborating directly with living poets and performers. Hagen also embodies the role of educator and mentor, teaching composition and tirelessly advocating for new music. His work as a filmmaker and writer further reflects a mind that sees artistic creation as an integrated, multidisciplinary act.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Daron was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Daron Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Daron's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Composed over a dozen operas, including the widely performed 'Shining Brow' (1992).
- Served as composer-in-residence for the Princeton Atelier and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's Training Orchestra.
- Received the Guggenheim Fellowship and the Kennedy Center Friedheim Award for his compositions.
- Authored 'Duet,' a comprehensive guide to composer-librettist collaboration.
Did You Know?
He is an accomplished pianist and conductor, often leading performances of his own works.
Hagen wrote his first opera, 'The Passion of Simone,' as a teenager.
He has a long-standing collaborative relationship with poet Paul Muldoon.
He founded the recording label and production company, 'Quattro Corde.'
“I write music to connect people to stories, and through those stories, to each other.”
