Laura Amoriello was appointed to the faculty of Westminster Choir College of Rider University as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Piano in 2004.  She teaches secondary piano courses for music majors at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.  Dr. Amoriello also participated in Westminster’s 2009 Educational Opportunity Program, designing and teaching a preparatory keyboard course for incoming freshmen.  During the summers of 1999 through 2005, she served on the faculty of Westminster’s Piano Camp for High School Students, where she conducted masterclasses, coached solo and ensemble repertoire, and presented lecture recitals on various composers.  Dr. Amoriello also serves as Instructor of Keyboard Skills at The College of New Jersey.  She has taught courses at TCNJ for both music majors and non-majors since 2004, while contributing to refining and expanding the non-major group keyboard curriculum.  Dr. Amoriello previously served on the faculties of the New School for Music Study, where she taught private and group lessons for students of all ages and levels, as well as Philadelphia’s Settlement Music School.

Dr. Amoriello’s current research interests encompass both secondary piano instruction and adult education.  Her workshop, “Musical Teamwork: Strategies for Student-Centered Piano Instruction,” was presented at the 2007 European Piano Teachers Association Conference in Novi Sad, Serbia.  A successful reception led to return engagements for both the 2009 and 2010 World Piano Conferences in Novi Sad.  Additional presentations include Westminster Choir College’s Perspectives in Piano Pedagogy Week and the South Jersey Music Teachers Association.  Dr. Amoriello’s article, “A Pedagogy of Authenticity: Creating an Open Dialogue with Secondary Piano Students,” appeared in Piano Pedagogy Forum, and she is currently developing writings on both performance anxiety and the intermediate piano music of Prokofiev.  Dr. Amoriello previously served the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy for two terms, from 2001 to 2003, as a member of the Student Committee.  

As an active pianist, Dr. Amoriello recently presented a faculty lecture recital on Prokofiev’s solo and chamber works at Westminster Choir College.  Additional recent appearances include the South Jersey Music Teachers Association Annual Recital and Westminster Choir College’s Family Weekend Faculty Showcase.  Upon selection from the Westminster Choir College Concerto Competition, Dr. Amoriello also performed as a featured soloist with the Westminster Community Orchestra.  She was a winner of Westminster Choir College’s Undergraduate Piano Competition and was selected to perform in the Associated Music Teachers League of New York Young Musicians Concert at Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall.  

Dr. Amoriello holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in piano performance and pedagogy from Westminster Choir College of Rider University, where she was an Andrew J. Rider Scholar, and The Pennsylvania State University, respectively.  Her principal teachers include Mary DeTurck, Ingrid Clarfield, and Dr. Timothy Shafer.  During her studies, she received numerous awards and honors, including the Music Teachers National Association Student Achievement Recognition Award, the Arthur Judson Scholarship for Outstanding Undergraduate Piano Majors, and the Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music Scholarship for Promise as a Creative and Inspirational Teacher.  Dr. Amoriello recently completed the Doctor of Education degree in college music pedagogy from Teachers College of Columbia University.  Her dissertation is entitled, “Teaching Undergraduate Class Piano: A Study of Perspectives from Self, Students, and Colleagues.”