Lani Bortfeld

Lani Bortfeld received her B.Mus. from the New England Conservatory and her M.Mus. from the University of Connecticut. She has studied with Mischa Mischakoff, Eric Rosenblith and Ariana Bronne. An SAA-trained teacher and a 39-year member, Lani teaches in English and Spanish, and enjoys involving families of all cultures and ethnicities in their children’s music education. In 2002 she founded the Suzuki Talent Education Partnership (STEP), an interfaith music ministry dedicated to combining community outreach with high-quality, family-centered music instruction inspired by Dr. Suzuki’s teachings and accessible to all. Lani was awarded the McKnight Neighborhood Council’s 2014 Community Service Award for contributions to the cultural arts through her work with Suzuki musical instruction in Springfield. An active chamber musician, she is a member of AFM Local 171, and was the first violinist in the May 2014 world premieres of Gwyneth Walker’s string quartet “The Dove.”