The Taubl Family: Family

The Taubl Family has been touching the hearts and souls of people with their glorious music for over ten years. John and Carol, along with their 7 children, perform with a unique blend of vocal harmonies and stringed instruments. Blessed by God and trained at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City, these award winning musicians would like to introduce themselves...

John (June 24, 1960) and Carol (February 19, 1962)

John, the father of the clan, was born and raised in southern Connecticut. As a young boy soprano, his talent was recognized by a junior high school music teacher. Although he loved music, sports was his real passion. An avid baseball player, John played varsity sports all through high school and college. Carol was brought up in West Tennessee but moved to Connecticut when her parents were transferred to New York City in 1976. Her musical talent had been passed down through the generations, and she has been playing piano for as long as she can remember. Carol was also an avid athlete, playing both high school and college basketball.

In 1979, their paths crossed at a roller skating rink. They were married in 1981 and since then, have been blessed with seven children.

Gretchen (November 19, 1983)

Gretchen has the dubious distinction of being the oldest of the Taubl children and leader of the Taubl orchestra. Her beautiful, rich alto voice lends depth to the sound of the Taubl vocals. Her musical talent was quite evident when she began her violin studies at age 5. The beautiful, soulful sound of the viola captured her imagination at age 12 and she has since devoted herself almost entirely to it. Gretchen was enrolled in the pre-college program at the Juilliard School in New York City from 1998-2002. She graduated from the Hartt School of Music in May, 2006 with a degree in viola performance. She currently has a large teaching studio and enjoys sharing the gift with a new generation of musicians.

Emily (August 17, 1985)

As the classic second child, Emily is hard working and organized. Her cello playing provides a luscious bass sound to the strings, while her natural soprano voice adds excitement to the vocals. Emily began her cello studies at age 6 and was greatly influenced by the teaching of Donna Denniston, who then recommended that she audition for the Juilliard pre-college. Upon acceptance there, Emily entered the studio of Ardyth Alton with whom she studied from 1998-2002. Emily graduated from the Yale School of music in cello performance in May, 2005. She is currently pursuing a degree in cello performance from the Hartt School of Music. She was recently awarded first prize in the Van Rooy Competition for Musical Excellence at the Hartt School. Her solo appearances include the Granite State Symphony, Juilliard Pre-College Symphony, Boston Virtuosi, New England String Ensemble and the Hartford Symphony. During her time at Juilliard, Emily was chosen to work in an elite chamber group coached by the legendary violinist, Itzhak Perlman.

Annabelle (April 23, 1987)

Annabelle saw a harp being played in an orchestra on television when she was 4 years old and decided that she wanted to play that instrument. She began harp lessons at age 5 with Stephanie Curcio of Stratham, NH. At age 10 Annabelle made her solo debut performing Mozart's Concerto for Flute and Harp with the Northeast Youth Symphony Orchestra. A year later she entered the pre-college program at the Juilliard School and began to study with Nancy Allen, principal harpist of the New York Philharmonic. She had her Carnegie Hall debut in December, 2000 with the New York String Orchestra under the direction of Jaime Laredo. As Young Concert Artist for the American Harp Society, Annabelle represented the United States at the 2002 World Harp Congress in Switzerland. Annabelle just completed her senior year at the Hartt School of Music. Her solo appearances include the West Point Army Band, Westchester Chamber Orchestra, Symphony Pro Musica, Juilliard Pre-College Symphony and Symphony by the Sea.

Jack (September 12, 1990)

Jack, the oldest boy, has the most amazing memory. At age 4, he had the entire 'Legend of Sleepy Hollow' memorized and could quote it with real style to the amazement of all who heard. Jack's natural musicality is quite evident. Blessed with absolute pitch, Jack's voice leads many of the numbers in the Taubl Family concerts. His viola playing lends a nice complement to the warm sound of their music. Jack is an avid baseball fan. He currently plays on several teams while following his favorite major league team, the Boston Red Sox!

Samuel (July 17, 1993)

Sam, our other cellist, has a very great gift of concentration. This wonderful trait carries over into all aspects of his life. He is a very good student and a great athlete. He is the family champion of 'horse' and throws a mean fastball. His cello playing is a combination of natural ability and imitation of his older sister. It doesn't get much better than that! Sam studied with Donna Denniston in Concord, NH until 2002 when he was accepted into the pre-college program at the Juilliard School, where he is currently a student of Clara Kim. Sam is a wonderful addition to the music of the Taubl Family. Like his brother, Jack, Sam is also a great baseball player and was a starting player on the varsity team at his high school.

James (August 13, 1995)

James, older of the twins by 11 minutes, is a low-key, easy-going boy with energy to burn. James has lots of natural athletic ability, doing flips and back-dives off the diving board at age 3. He is a switch-hitter, a lefty on the mound, and can hit daddy's fastball! James entered the pre-college program at the Mannes Conservatory of Music in New York City this past fall, and is a student of Adria Benjamin. He also studies with Marvin Warshaw.

Jeremiah (August 13, 1995)

Jeremiah's Type A personality is a real asset to the Taubl Family. Although he is the youngest of the crew, he is often relied upon to handle details and keep things organized. Jeremiah also loves baseball, primarily playing the position of catcher. He and James have been All Stars of their Little League for 3 years. Jeremiah entered the Mannes Conservatory this fall as a violin student of Stephan Tieszen.