About.
Stephanie LaMotte is a songwriter and pianist and choral director who finds joy and inspiration in the creative arts. Stephanie is a classically trained pianist and feels privileged to make her living as a musician. In addition to directing choirs and performing, she enjoys using her creative energies to focus on composing music as well as writing stories and articles. Stephanie spent most of her life living on the West Coast, but now resides on the Chesapeake Bay with her husband Richard LaMotte.
BIO
Stephanie King LaMotte has been directing and accompanying choirs for three decades. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from San Jose State University, and a Master’s degree in Music from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. She had the privilege of studying piano with the esteemed Japanese pianist Aiko Onishi, and was the personal assistant and accompanist to renowned choral director Dr. Charlene Archibeque. One of her career highlights was to be the guest soloist with the Willamette Falls Symphony, performing the Grieg Piano Concerto.
Ms. LaMotte 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 “Remember.” Stephanie taught choir, band, and orchestra 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. After moving to Sisters, Oregon, she accompanied the semi-professional ensemble, Bend Camerata, and held the position of Music Director and Organist at The Church of the Transfiguration.
Stephanie LaMotte is the director of the a cappella ensemble River Voices and is the Assistant Director and Pianist for the Chester River Chorale in Chestertown, Maryland. In addition, Ms. LaMotte is the Director of Music and Choirmaster for Emmanuel Episcopal Church and serves on the board of the Kent Cultural Alliance. She has spent summers in Italy as faculty with the Tuscia Opera Festival/International Lyric Academy, and was recently the featured pianist for 33 Variations, a play based on Beethoven’s life and music. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys her family, travel, cooking, yoga, kayaking, and beachcombing.