Jason studied the cello from an early age and became interested in violin making and restoration while searching for his first serious cello. At the age of 18, he enrolled at Cremona’s school of violin making, but lasted just two weeks there before deciding to study with Renato Scrollavezza in Parma. After living and working in Cremona and Parma for three years and completing nine and a half violins he returned to the US, where he took up a degree in English Literature at Williams College in Massachusetts.

It was towards the end of Jason’s degree course that the idea of starting Tarisio was born, and the company was launched in 1999. In recent years Jason has concentrated on broadening the reach of Tarisio with several initiatives including expanding to London and Berlin and concentrating on higher end instruments through discrete private sales.

Jason is the primary expert for Tarisio’s attributions and believes that a conservative and transparent approach to expertise is the way of the future.

Jason moved to Berlin in September 2021 but visits New York and London once a month. As an avid large-format analog photographer and technology enthusiast Jason enjoys Tarisio’s unique fusion of 18th-century instruments and 21st-century technology and wonders what yesteryear giants like Strad, Vuillaume, and the Hills would say of Tarisio’s new approach to violin sales and expertise.

Read Jason’s Carteggio post, Tarisio turns 15

Read Jason’s introduction to the new Cozio archive.

Carlos Tome oversees all private sales of Tarisio’s New York and London offices. His specialty lies with providing a personalized approach in matching each client to his or her ideal instrument. In addition to private sales, Carlos has played a major role in the critical success of recent auction sales, many of which set world records.  In 2015, he became partner at Tarisio.

A native of Madrid, Carlos moved to New York City eighteen years ago and has since worked at several prestigious arts management firms. Having graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Music as a violinist, he possesses a unique and first-hand knowledge of the particular concerns that performers have when searching for instruments. He prioritizes the delivery of a customized experience to each client and understands that every interaction requires a personalized approach.

Carlos loves the diversity of the clientele he works with, whether they be high-profile artists, students, or collectors. He has always been passionate about fine string instruments and bows and enjoys sharing the knowledge and expertise he has garnered while working in the field. He currently serves on Board of Directors of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and Polyphony Foundation.

Born on the French riviera in the port city of Toulon, Marie spent most of her childhood on her family’s sailing boat before moving to Paris. Having started the violin at age five, she has been an active musician in orchestras and chamber ensembles ever since.

After graduating with degrees in Physics and Musicology from La Sorbonne, she moved to New York and began working at Tarisio in 2010. A strong curiosity in the history of violin making, along with handling over a thousand instruments and bows a year, led her to take on the role of Specialist while getting accredited by the Appraisers Association of America in 2015. Marie returned to Europe in 2017 to be the Head of Operations in the London office. She now lives in Paris and continues to handle consignments for all Tarisio offices as she frequently travels throughout Europe. Marie looks forward to discussing the best strategy for sale for your instrument, whether at auction or private sales.

Matthew Huber joined Tarisio’s sales team having developed an interest in fine instruments from a young age. As an active soloist and chamber musician he has studied the cello with many of the world’s most respected pedagogues in Europe and America. His discerning musical ear and knowledge of fine instruments makes him a valuable asset to the firm.

Matthew welcomes the challenge of pairing a player with his or her dream instrument, as well as promoting the internet auction as an honest, transparent and expanding platform throughout Europe. He looks forward to welcoming you to the London office.

Since his introduction to the violin at the age of 5, Nicholas has developed a deep-rooted passion for classical music. Nicholas holds a BA in Business Administration and Economics from Zeppelin University, as well as an MSc in Behavioural Economics from The London School of Economics and Political Science. At Tarisio, Nicholas is responsible for keeping track of the instruments and bows that are being sold at auction, as well as ensuring them safe travels when they depart for the homes of their new owners. When Nicholas isn’t at work, you will likely find him cooking unnecessarily complicated meals for his friends and family.

Born in Berlin, but originally from Greece, Sofia graduated with a degree in Education from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She furthered her studies by obtaining a Masters degree from Hellenic College Holy Cross in Boston, MA. She took piano classes as a child and resumed recently as an adult. Along with her diverse professional background in Education, Real Estate, and Article Writing, she is active in non-political organisations that give emphasis to women’s issues and human rights. At Tarisio, Sofia is responsible for the daily administration of the Berlin office.

Xiaofu Wang is responsible for Tarisio’s photography in Berlin. She holds a BA in Media Arts and Production from the University of Technology, Sydney. Alongside her work for Tarisio, she does documentary and portrait work. Her images have been published in The Guardian, Le Monde, Arte, NME and Pitchfork.

Martha manages the day to day administration of auctions and oversees the accounts. With a particular focus on international trade compliance, she helps to ensure smooth worldwide movement of our instruments and bows. Since graduating with a degree in Music from King’s College London in 2017, Martha continues to enjoy performing both as a soloist and in various local ensembles.

Born in Athens to a cellist mother, Callie grew up playing in cello cases. She played piano from an early age. Since outgrowing cello cases, she graduated with an MA in Critical Methodologies, and published her first collection of poetry in September 2018. She can be found attending and performing at poetry events around London, when not in her role as Property Assistant and Shipper at the London Tarisio office.

Daniel Lane produces all the catalog photography for Tarisio’s London office. He has been a professional photographer since 1999 and holds a BA in Photography and a Masters with Distinction. His work as a documentary photographer has led him to shoot photostories in many different countries, from hospitals in Madagascar to gold miners in Laos to ultimately win the London Fringe Photography Award in 2009. Daniel also enjoys working in the studio for Tarisio and other clients including Valentino, Patrick Cox and Boots to name a few.

Jonathan carries out tonal adjustments, setups and more extensive restoration work for Tarisio’s London office. Having studied violin making and restoration at Merton College, Jonathan was offered an apprenticeship with J. P. Guivier, after which he worked in the main workshop for 13 years. In that time he established his own business as Luthier in Residence for Trinity College, where he has carried out work for professional players and dealers alike. He has maintained his interest in modern making and has been fortunate to work alongside many respected contemporary makers.

Emily Orr supervises the post-auction process for Tarisio’s clientele. In addition to her diverse background in restaurant ownership and film & theater production, she holds a Master’s in Anthropology from CUNY-Hunter College and is currently working on a Certificate from CUNY-Baruch College in Advanced Accounting and Forensic Accounting.

Florence grew up in London and, after a brief introduction to the violin as a child, chose instead to play the viola. This naturally led her to study for a degree in Music at the University of York where she was also involved in introducing a Jazz music night for students in the city. She is a keen conservationist and has volunteered in a number of different environmental awareness campaigns around the world. After four years in Tarisio’s London office she moved in November 2016 to New York to lead T2 Auctions.

Robert Bailey manages the New York and London photography studio operations and is also responsible for maintaining Tarisio’s extensive digital archive.  He has photographed thousands of instruments and bows since joining Tarisio in 2010, most famously the ‘Lady Blunt’ Stradivari sold in 2011, and has fine-tuned the techniques necessary to create the highest quality images.

Robert studied photography at Ohio University and went on to work as a commercial photographer for clients including United Airlines, Nike and the United Nations. His images have been published in the New York Times as well as being featured on The Today Show, The Discovery Channel and NBC’s Nightly News. He also served as an adjunct professor at Ohio Northern University and has lectured at the School of Visual Arts, Rochester Institute of Technology and The International Center of Photography.

Elizabeth LaPorte holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Macalester College and is a graduate of the Chicago School of Violin Making. Following completion of the program, she actively pursued additional training to acquire a diverse set of skills for repair and restoration with shops in Chicago and at Rare Violins of New York, in its workshop renowned for fine craftsmanship.

Elizabeth’s interest in lutherie is driven by her background as a violinist, as well as her enthusiasm for the many disciplines that contribute to instrument set-up, maintenance, and restoration. Approaching her work with a critical mind and integrated perspective aimed to serve the needs of musicians, she seeks to optimize the performance and facility of each instrument, while preserving its integrity as a unique object of cultural significance. Elizabeth’s experience working with fine instruments and accomplished musicians inspires and informs her continued violin making, and she specializes in making bench copies of 18th century Cremonese violins.

Martin grew up studying violin which evolved into a passion for orchestral conducting and fueled his appreciation for the classical repertoire. While attending McGill University, Martin studied violin, conducting, and musicology. After completing his undergraduate degree in 2021, Martin joined Tarisio as Client Liaison where he continues to surround himself with classical music and learn about the Fine Instrument trade. Martin will be welcoming you upon arrival to Tarisio in New York and assisting with any inquiries you may have.

Kate Dreyfuss joined the Tarisio New York office in October 2021. An accomplished violinist, Kate grew up in northern New Jersey and started playing at the age of 3. Her early musical training took place at The School for Strings – two blocks from Tarisio – and at Juilliard Pre-College. She is a graduate of Princeton University, where she studied French literature, and holds Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in Violin Performance from Stony Brook University. One of her favorite things about working at Tarisio is meeting and reconnecting with fellow musicians who stop by the office.

Before joining Tarisio in April of 2022, Ben attended Colgate University with a focus in Music and Political Science. He studied composition and audio production under the guidance of Emmy-nominated composer Ryan Chase. While at Colgate, Ben was the principal bassist in the Colgate University Orchestra and a Student Senator.  Outside of Tarisio, Ben operates a small record label where he produces and DJs. Ben looks forward to connecting and working with Tarisio customers.

Robert Lund created a new website for Tarisio in 2008, and is responsible for all of its complex operations, including a separate in-house website where staff members maintain the ever-growing database of instruments, customers, and online financial transactions. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from The Cooper Union and a Master’s from Stanford University, he worked on Picturephone at Bell Labs for five years, and then designed computer software and hardware in the broadcast television industry for many years. Tarisio represents the culmination of his work designing websites for the past ten years.

A musician since his youth, Robert has built his own harpsichord, served as a church organist and choirmaster, and played keyboards in various bands throughout his life. He enjoys the overlap between his two life interests afforded by the Tarisio project.