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 the London office 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 spends most of his time in London but spends one week a month in New York. As an avid 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 fourteen 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 Young Concert Artists and the 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 5, she has ever since been an active musician in orchestras and chamber ensembles.

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 violinmaking, along with handling over a thousand instruments and bows a year, led her to take on the role of specialist.

Having been accredited by the Appraisers Association of America, Marie has now returned to Europe to be the Auction Manager in the London office.

Matthew Huber joins 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 teachers and pedagogues in Europe and America. He is certain that 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.

Naomi set up Tarisio’s London office in 2007 and managed it until 2012. She now runs the Cozio archive of instruments and bows and is overseeing a major Cozio restructure, including a new section of features on the string world. Formerly editor of The Strad magazine, Naomi has written as a freelance music journalist for magazines including Gramophone and Classic FM, reported on string events around the world and adjudicated various music competitions.

Tania runs Tarisio’s press, marketing and print communications, as well as producing creative content and forging partnerships. Having played the piano and violin from a young age, Tania studied music at the University of Oxford, specialising in music history, philosophy and analysis. She established and conducted a concert series at Oxford’s Holywell Music Room and also blogs on classical music. With a background in classical music public relations, digital media and production, Tania enjoys combining all disciplines in her work with Tarisio.

As the Property Manager for Tarisio’s London office, Renée prepares the instruments and bows for auction and assists both bidders and consignors with their enquiries.
Renée grew up in Maastricht, The Netherlands. As the daughter of a goldsmith and a watch maker, she was always interested in practising a craft herself. After playing the violin from a young age, she developed a new passion in the instrument itself, which led to enrolling at the Cremona International Violin Making School, from where she graduated in the summer of 2014.

Kevin Lin currently holds a position as Co-Leader of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and maintains an active performance career as a violinist. As a graduate of The Colburn School and the Curtis Institute of Music, Kevin’s interest in instruments stemmed from being surrounded by fine instruments throughout his time studying and performing. Kevin observed first-hand how the discovery of the perfect instrument can have a profound effect on a player, and his keen ear and knowledge of instruments can help others achieve the same.

Kevin is part of Tarisio’s sales team and facilitates with sales in Asia. In addition to English, Kevin is also fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

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.

Born in Germany to a musical family, Ben began playing the cello at 9 years old, following in his grandmother’s footsteps. This love of music has carried him throughout his studies in Germany and Italy, and then, at their completion, he left for England to study at the world-renowned Newark School of Violin Making. There, he received diplomas in Instrument Making and Restoration. Additionally, while in England, he chaired the Trent Chamber Academy Orchestra, was invited to serve on the management committee of the British Violin Making Association, and worked as photography assistant to the world-famous instrument photographer, Jan Röhrmann.

His passion for the world of rare and fine instruments led him to move to New York City to work in a well-known violin workshop as a restorer. From there, he has joined Tarisio as their Specialist and continues to build his own instruments at his home workshop.

Nicole Arena-Davies runs Tarisio’s social media, produces its digital marketing and manages special events in New York.
Nicole is a native New Yorker who was first introduced to the world of classical music at home, listening to her older sister practice piano. After persistently asking her parents for violin lessons, to which they eventually agreed, she made her first visit to a fine stringed instrument shop. This was an experience that would spark a love for stringed instruments and leave a lasting impression. Nicole continued with both piano and violin studies which ultimately led her to attend Berklee College of Music where she had the opportunity to explore various styles and genres of music. One of the things Nicole enjoys most about her role at Tarisio is meeting inspiring musicians and building relationships with them.

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.

Luthier Christo Wood joined Tarisio’s New York office in 2014, where he works on adjustment, setup, repair and restoration. After receiving a degree in biology from Vassar College, he studied violin making at the North Bennet Street School in Boston. He was employed in the workshops of Reuning & Son and Carriage House Violins from 2005–10 before setting up as an independent maker. Christo continues to make new instruments in addition to his work at Tarisio.

Michael bought his first violin in a southeast Asian market for one hundred dollars, and this purchase forever changed the trajectory of his life. The fiddle took him to India, where he studied Hindustani classical violin for several years. While there, and after many hours of contemplating the subtlety of the instrument, the notion of creating his own violin overtook him.  After graduating from the Chicago School of Violin Making, he was employed in the workshop of Carl Becker and Son.

In the winter of 2016 Michael left Chicago and currently works for Tarisio as a luthier and as property assistant. He has a degree in Psychology from The University of Wyoming, his home state, and he still owns his hundred dollar violin.

Ellie joined Tarisio in early 2017 and works as the receptionist in their New York office. Growing up in New England, she was heavily involved in the performing arts and played the cello for many years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Directing from the Pace University School of Performing Arts and, in her spare time, produces a monthly play reading series in New York City.

Stefan Valcuha undertakes high-level restorations and maintenance of fine Italian instruments. He trained in Mirecourt and developed further restoration skills working for Jean-Christoph Graff. He moved to the USA in 1997 to join René Morel’s workshop, where he spent ten years. Stefan also makes his own instruments.

Contact
Tel: +1 212 307 7224
Business hours: Monday–Friday, 10am–6pm; appointments essential

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.