Jennifer Burford

Jennifer’s students range in age from children as young as 3 years old to adults. She is a member of the violin faculty at the Miles Nadal JCC Suzuki Program and the Royal Conservatory School. Her teaching style readily adapts to the needs of the individual student. She has experienced all sides of the Suzuki Triangle, beginning as a Suzuki student at age 4, continuing to evolve as a Suzuki teacher, and adapting into a new role as a Suzuki parent and practice partner to her oldest of three children. She began her first decade of teaching at the North York Suzuki School where she held the positions of String Coordinator and Director. Jennifer is equally comfortable with older children and teens, having held teaching positions at Claude Watson School for the Arts and Havergal College.

Prior to beginning her teaching career in 2006, she completed a Bachelor’s of Music Performance while studying with Mark Skazinetsky at the University of Toronto. She received her Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gould School and her Master’s of Music Performance Degree from University of Toronto under the tutelage of Erika Raum. Jennifer has completed teacher training through the Suzuki Association of America in books 1-8, studying with Elayne Ras, Ed Sprunger, Karen Kimmet, Kathleen Spring, and Allen Lieb. She also has taken the Suzuki Association of the Americas supplemental course “Teaching from the Balance Point” with Ed Kreitman. Jennifer recently was certified as a Teacher Trainer in the Creative Ability Development, a method of developing divergent thinking and musical artistry through improvisation. 

Jennifer remains an active performer and freelancer in Toronto. She holds the position of Principal Second Violin with the chamber orchestra Canadian Sinfonietta and has performed with Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Esprit Orchestra, Toronto Concert Orchestra, Sinfonia Toronto, and Mirvish Productions. She continues to enjoy playing chamber music, after being a recipient the Felix Galimir Chamber Music award at UofT. In addition to classical music, Jennifer has developed her versatility as a musician by recording and performing with jazz, funk, folk, Klezmer artists, and the Queer Songbook Orchestra.

She is a member of the Suzuki Association of America, the Suzuki Association of Ontario, and the American Federation of Musicians.