IBO Musicians

Caroline Giassi (she/her) was born and raised in New York City where she began her musical career with a Cracker Jack box as a violin. She eventually graduated to a real, wooden instrument and later switched to the oboe . While pursuing her undergraduate degree in oboe performance at the Caroline also earned a degree in comparative literature which fostered in her a love of approaching music in its original language, or, on its original instruments. This naturally led her to the world of performance practice and historical oboes. 

As a freelance musician, Caroline enjoys a variety of opportunities to both perform and teach across the country. She has performed with top early music ensembles including Apollo’s Fire, Chatham Baroque, The Sebastians, Tenet Vocal Artists, Handel and Haydn Society, Boston Baroque, and Opera Lafayette. In addition to performing, Caroline is a dedicated teacher and has given workshops at Louisiana State University University of Texas – Austin, University of Missouri Kansas City , and Montclair State University. Since 2017 she has been a continuing guest artist at her alma mater,  the University of Michigan, where she teaches baroque oboe and performance practice.  Though most of her students these days are collegiate or graduate level, her passion for teaching began working with elementary school students in New York City as a teaching artist for S’Cool Sounds. 

Caroline currently resides in Corning, NY with her two young children, husband, and cat. She is passionate about bringing early music to her community and has been working to build a local concert series for all ages at venues ranging from churches to ice cream parlors.  She earned bachelor degrees in oboe performance and comparative literature at the University of Michigan. She then pursued graduate studies in oboe at The Yale School of Music and subsequently was awarded a fellowship in baroque oboe as the first and only wind player to join the Yale Baroque Ensemble. Caroline continued her baroque studies at The Juilliard School for a second master’s degree in historical performance. Her principal teachers include Toyin Spellman-Diaz, Nancy Ambrose King, Stephen Taylor, and Gonzalo Ruiz.