Stephanie LaMotte started piano lessons at the age of 5 and at age 12 began studying under renowned Japanese pianist, Professor Aiko Onishi. She has a Bachelor\u2019s degree in Piano Performance from San Jose State University, and a Master\u2019s degree in Music, along with a certification to teach K-12 music, from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon.<\/p>\n
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Stephanie studied conducting in Sarteano, Italy with Simon Carrington from the Boston Conservatory. She won the Portland Mu Phi Epsilon Piano Competition and was invited to be the featured pianist for a master class with Karl Ulrich Schnabel of Germany. One of her career highlights was to be the guest soloist with the Willamette Falls Symphony, performing the Grieg piano concerto.<\/p>\n
Stephanie has enjoyed many musical opportunities throughout the years. She has led five international choir tours, including trips to Germany, Ireland, Hawaii, Austria, and Canada. She was invited to be the pianist for the Salute to Valor Festival in Honolulu, Hawaii, which also included a performance of her original patriotic choral composition, \u201cRemember.\u201d<\/p>\n
She worked closely as personal assistant and accompanist to acclaimed choral director Charlene Archibeque, and played the piano for a number of years for the Oregon Ballet School. She became certified to teach Kindermusik, and opened her own music studio. Stephanie taught band, choir, and orchestra in the public schools at the middle and high school levels, and was the Creative Arts Director in charge of vocal and instrumental music, drama, dance, visual and technical arts for a large metropolitan church in Portland, Oregon.<\/p>\n
After moving to Sisters, Oregon, she accompanied for the semi-professional ensemble, Bend Camerata, and held the position of Music Director and Organist at The Church of the Transfiguration.<\/p>\n
Stephanie currently is the Music Director and Choirmaster for Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Chestertown. She often spends summers in Italy as a pianist with the Tuscia Opera Festival & International Lyric Academy as part of the faculty. She composes sacred choral music, is highly sought after as a freelance accompanist, and looks forward to establishing many professional connections in her new hometown of Chestertown, Maryland. She has accompanied for numerous musical theater events through the years, and recently was the pianist for the Garfield\u2019s production of Stephen Sondheim\u2019s Sweeney Todd. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys her family and friends, travel, cooking, yoga, kayaking, and wine tasting.<\/p>\n
![\"Stephanie](\"https:\/\/www.chesterriverchorale.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Stephanie-King-in-Italy.jpeg\")