She holds a Master of Music degree in Organ Performance and Literature and the highly coveted Performer's Certificate in Organ from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where she has done post-graduate studies in harpsichord and organ performance.  

A musician of wide-ranging interests and accomplishments, Handford has appeared in recitals in the United States, Canada, England, and Scandinavia. She has been a featured artist at the Bergen International Festival in Norway, the St. Olaf Festival in Trondheim, Norway, the Lahti International Music Festival in Finland, and at the International Organ Festival in Arona, Italy.

In 1993, Handford was the winner of the 35th International J.S. Bach Competition held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In the same year, she received first prize in the John R. Rodland Scholarship Competition, sponsored by the New Jersey Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. She has been the recipient of many other grants and awards, including the National Endowment for the Arts.

Handford has appeared as a soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra and the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra. She has also performed numerous recitals with the Swedish natural trumpet virtuoso Niklas Eklund and has toured with the Australian Baroque Brass. Her interest in new music has led to premieres of several new works for organ, including Stephen Paulus' Toccata for Organ, Ketil Hvoslef's Toccata for Organ, Robert Starer's Angel Voices, David Liptak's Sonata for Violin and Organ, which was commissioned by Benedictinus 2000 and premiered in Rome, and most recently, Haunted Divertimento by Aaron David Miller.  

She has produced more than 60 recordings of choral and organ music together with her husband Bill Lund, who is an award winning recording engineer.  

She is in demand as a performer, clinician and adjudicator. Her students at Lawrence have received top awards and honors in regional and national organ playing competitions.