By Liana Cole, Florida Grand Opera

From the Brady Bunch to the Von Trapps, the myth of musical DNA has always been a curious topic. A group of brothers known as Hanson became a teen pop sensation in the 90s while the Jackson 5 had already proved the power of musical genetics when they took over Motown back in the 60s. The world of opera was missing its own genetic pedigree until now; the opera has finally found its own first family.

Meet The Menvielle’s: Veronica, Gabe, Pablo and Lucas. Mom, Veronica, is no stranger to musical lineage. She stems from a musical Slovenian family and grew up in Buenos Aires where she trained as a mezzo soprano. Her husband, Gabe, specializes in Information Technology at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, plays bass and sings with Our Lady of the Lakes choir. They graciously passed their talents on to their two sons. The eldest Pablo, 20, has appeared in over 10 productions with Florida Grand Opera while Lucas, 9, made his opera debut at the age of 2.

All musically gifted, the Menvelle’s execute have made performing on stage a family activity at Florida Grand Opera, where they each played a role in FGO’s latest production of Jacques Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann. Veronica was a member of the chorus, Pablo executed the role of a Tavern Boy and Lucas took on two roles as a Tavern Boy and the Blind Boy in Hoffmann, as Gabe watched on back stage with his Arsht Center badge around his neck.

“Music is a disease in the family and we don’t want to get rid of it,” Gabe said. In fact, they harness it. “When they brought me home from the hospital, they sat me down before the two speakers and played me the overture from Rossini’s The Barbe of Seville,” Pablo noted. Lucas’ exposure came even before birth as Veronica was cast in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia when she was pregnant with him 10 years ago.

The love for the opera and the arts in general radiates from this small but stirringly passionate family. Their talents and recognition will only continue to grow. This is only Act I.