Erin Ratzlaf

Portland, Oregon cellist Erin Ratzlaf is accepting students to her Suzuki program and is currently offering online instruction to students across the country. In addition to individual instruction, Erin is on the faculty of the Suzuki-inspired Elementary Strings program in the Lake Oswego School District as well as the Portland-based Suzuki cooperative Suzuki Stumptown. Erin has over 25 years of experience as a cello teacher, and has served on the faculty of Portland’s Community Music Center, Rose City Music Academy, Oregon Episcopal School, and the Chamber Music Camp of Portland. Erin has served as Assistant Principal Cello of the Vancouver Symphony since 2007 and is also a member of the Portland Chamber Orchestra, the Oregon Coast Music Festival Orchestra, and the Pearl Chamber Orchestra with the Oregon Music Festival. She has performed with arts organizations throughout the Pacific Northwest including 10 seasons with the Columbia Symphony and 5 seasons with the Astoria Music Festival Orchestra. Erin has also been involved in Portland’s alt classical scene including performances with Classical Revolution PDX, FearNoMusic, and the Portland Cello Project, and has made two appearances on OPB’s Art Beat. Erin has previously studied Suzuki philosophy and method with Ann Grabe, Edmund Sprunger, Susan Baer, Priscilla Jones, Shu-Yi Scott, Carol Tarr, Andrea Yun, and Carey Beth Hockett. Her primary cello teachers were David Tonkonogui (Seattle Symphony), Hans Jensen (Northwestern University) and Nancy Ives (Oregon Symphony). In addition to her work as a cellist, Erin holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Portland State University and has previously worked as a therapist and crisis counselor. She resides in Portland with her cellist husband and their 3 daughters.