Ann Strubler, the guest speaker at this year's Fundraising Banquet, has seen firsthand the amazing tapestry that God can weave through an unplanned pregnancy. Placed for adoption as a baby, she grew up with adoptive parents who recognized and nurtured her musical abilities even without knowing their origin. In her adulthood, she had the privilege of meeting both of her birthparents—and discovering the depth of her musical heritage.

Strubler recently retired after 30 years as a violinist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. A native of Minnesota, Strubler began studying piano at the age of three and violin at the age of five. She has also studied cello and harp. She graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy where she served as Principal Second Violinist of the Academy Orchestra in 1971 and earned her Bachelor of Music degree with Honors in 1975 from the New England Conservatory of Music. She received a master’s degree in 1977 from Boston University, where she studied with Joseph Silverstein, concertmaster of the Boston Symphony. In 1975, she won the Joseph Silverstein prize for outstanding violinist.

Strubler has performed with the Boston Opera, Boston Pops, and Minnesota Orchestra, and has spent one year as first violinist of the "Avanti" String Quartet of Battle Creek, Michigan. During summers she has performed at the Siena Summer Session in Siena, Italy; the Lake George Opera Festival Orchestra in upstate New York; and at the Tanglewood Summer Music Festival in Massachusetts. She has served as concertmaster with the orchestras of NEC, BU, and Tanglewood.

She and her husband David have been married for over 26 years and live in Burlington, Vermont. They have three sons: Mark, Michael, and Matt, each a professional and/or student musician. Strubler frequently speaks to groups on the subject of adoption, sharing her own life experience as an adopted child with several adopted siblings.

Read more about Ann Strubler's story here and here.