Izzy Allen

Izzy Allen is the Inventory Coordinator and Educational Sales Director at Luther Strings. Growing up in Niwot, CO, Izzy began playing the violin at age 8.  Joining the Boulder Youth Symphony two years later, he was introduced to playing in orchestra and string quartet; he also had his first concerto performance experience with BYS.  He subsequently won competitions throughout the State in Longmont, Boulder, Denver, Fort Collins, to name a few, and he held the title of Overall Winner of both the high school and college divisions of the Young Musicians Foundation of Colorado for eight consecutive years.  Izzy was a longtime member of DYAO, as well, and wrote a piece for full orchestra, which they premiered. 

In 2020, under the tutelage of the incomparable Alexander Kerr, Izzy graduated from Indiana University Bloomington’s Jacobs School of Music with a full-tuition scholarship, where he actively participated in new music performance as well as chamber and orchestral ensembles, the latter of which he served as Concertmaster for the duration of his studies.  In 2013, he was a semifinalist in the Stradivarius and Cooper International Violin Competitions.  Some of his most memorable performances have been Vivaldi’s Concerto for Four Violins with Robert McDuffie at the Aspen Music Festival and School for Harris Hall’s 25th anniversary, Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with Joshua Bell, and Strauss’ Four Last Songs with Renee Fleming.  

During the lockdown in 2020, Izzy decided not to continue a performance career, instead turning his attention to how the violin works from the inside.  He began luthier training at the R L Ray Violin Shop in Olympia, Washington before moving to Colorado to be closer to family, finding a perfect match here at Luther Strings.