Gerard has a BA in  piano performance and a Masters Degree in music education, He is associate professor of jazz piano at Saddleback College, where he works with a nationally recognized faculty.

Mr. Hagen has performed in jazz clubs, concerts, and festivals throughout the United States and Canada, including the Artist’s Quarter in Minneapolis, and Jazz at Pearl’s in San Francisco. He has spent the last twenty five years in the Los Angeles area performing in many jazz clubs and concert venues including the Terrace Theater, Los Angeles County Museum of Art jazz series, Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, Skirball Cultural Center, California Music Teachers’ Convention and many more.

Currently, he leads the Gerard Hagen Trio with bassist,  Domenic Genova and drummer, Jerry Kalaf.  The trio has two recordings;  Far Horizons” on Resurgent Music and “Stay Tuned” on Sea Breeze Jazz Records. Both records have received glowing reviews in many publications including the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Jazz Scene, Jazz Improv and  Cadence.

He devotes time for private instruction with musicians of all ages and has presented many clinics on jazz piano techniques at colleges and for the California Music Teachers Association.  His students have gone on to study music at Berklee College of Music, New England Conservatory and Harvard University.

Mr. Hagen currently has openings for all levels of students in our Irvine and Mission Viejo facilities.  He has been teaching at Coast Band Music for 25 years.

The ability to learn and perform music without the aid of a teacher is the goal for students under Gerard’s tutelage.  This is achieved by developing skills in sight-reading, music theory and mastery of a basic repertoire.