Laura Amoriello is a pianist, pedagogy specialist, and MNDFL and Open Heart Project Certified Meditation Instructor. She was a college professor for 18 years and now finds joy in helping students make music mindfully. 

Laura directs a private studio in Ithaca, NY, where she also serves as Piano Department Chair at Opus Ithaca School of Music and Meditation Instructor at Cornell University. Previously, she served on the faculties of Ithaca College, Westminster Choir College, and The College of New Jersey. Laura teaches with a holistic approach, emphasizing the mind-body connection, collaborating with students to set authentic, meaningful goals, and creating space for students to connect emotionally with the music. She chairs the Wellness Committee for the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, is President-Elect of the New York State Music Teachers Association, and is a Certified Teacher in The Art of Practicing®.

Laura holds a Doctor of Education degree from Teachers College, Columbia University, and Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in piano performance and pedagogy from Penn State University, where she studied with Dr. Timothy Shafer, and Westminster Choir College, where she studied with Ingrid Clarfield. She lives in Ithaca, NY with her husband, writer Pete Croatto, and their spirited second-grader, Olivia.