Bio

​Pianist and Composer, Deborah Fortier is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and Villa Schifanoia Graduate School of Applied Arts in Florence, Italy, (M.Mus.). Her teachers include Edwin Hymovitz, Maria Clodes, Orazio Frugoni, and Zelma Bodzin. She has a private piano studio and also teaches piano at Saint David’s School in New York City.

Deborah works closely with her husband Francis Fortier, violinist, conductor, and Artistic Director of the Bar Harbor Music Festival, which he founded in 1967. The Bar Harbor Music Festival is dedicated to assisting young, talented performers and composers by showcasing them in the international resort of Bar Harbor, Maine. Ms. Fortier served as the Festival’s Associate Director and for many years she was an accompanist on the Festival’s National Touring Program. In 2014, Ms. Fortier initiated the Young Audience Concert Series at the Festival where professional musicians present interactive performances for children of all ages.

As well as serving on the board of the Festival, Ms. Fortier served for 8 years on the board of the Leschetizky Association, initiating the Association’s Teachers’ Forum. She performs at the Tenri Cultural Center in New York City and in Bar Harbor, Maine.