Known for her bewitching, “goose-bump-worthy” performances where “the stagecraft alone is worth the price of admission”, violist Carol Gimbel has enjoyed a recent New York City debut recital at Lincoln Center’s Rose Studio and appearances at Piccolo Spoleto Festival, the Music Matter Series at La Grua, and the Ottawa ChamberFest. At the heart of her music-making is a focus on storytelling and community building to help audiences connect to the world and to themselves in new ways.

Carol’s mission was sparked at age 13, with her wondering why there were so many string players in her area of suburban Pennsylvania, and yet no youth orchestra. This led Carol and her father to found the Youth Orchestra of Bucks County—and set Carol off on her life’s quest to create more opportunities for audiences and musicians to find connections.

In 2008, Gimbel went on to found Music in the Barns, pioneering innovative approaches to contemporary classical music events almost everywhere except conventional concert halls. From the Hearn Generating Station's 400,000 sq. ft to intimate storefronts and festival appearances, Music in the Barns "obliterates the audience / performer boundary". Currently, in partnership with the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Strategies Fund, Music in the Barns is exploring strategies for making music pedagogy more accessible with the development and early testing of a prototype digital musical instrument and an explorative design process for the future of concert spaces.

Gimbel has spearheaded the premiere and commission of numerous major compositions, including contextualizing a representation of Canadian new music with a 2019 release on the New Focus Recordings label dubbed “brilliant, stunning and skillful” - The Wire and “a disc to die for” WholeNote Magazine.

Carol is an intrepid adventurer, playing everything from Broadway’s Lion King, to the soundtrack for the recent Hollywood release, Little Women, performances with eight-time Grammy nominee Lizzo, kirtan legend Krishna Das, and legendary composer David Amram. A published writer and sought-after guest speaker at universities and conferences, Carol is the co-host of WFMU’s "Why Do We Only Listen to Dead People?"

Carol regularly partners with pianist Cullan Bryant armed with her new viola, the ex- Emanuel Vardi c. 1725.