Meredith Stemen is an accomplished pianist whose musical roots run deep to her hometown of Pensacola, Florida. She is consistently recognized for her exceptional command of the keyboard, exquisite musical sensitivity, and a vibrant collaborative spirit that shines through her work. She currently serves as an instructor of music and staff pianist at the University of West Florida. Following a summer residency at Aspen Music Festival’s Opera and VocalArts program, she will join Pensacola Opera’s roster of studio artists for the 2024-25 season as a pianist/coach. Alongside her colleagues Brandon Hendrickson and Carlos Santelli, Meredith recorded an album of lieder by Franz Liszt and Josephine Lang which will be released in 2024. 

Meredith recently completed a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in collaborative piano under the guidance of Ana María Otamendi at Louisiana State University, where she held a full graduate assistantship within the school of music. Meredith's time at LSU was marked by significant accomplishments, including her extensive work with the LSU Chamber Singers, her role as a music director for Pergolesi’s La Serva Padrona, and her contribution as a repétiteur and coach for the world premiere of Hannah Rice’s opera Seneca Falls as part of the first Operability micro-opera festival. She performed numerous recitals for students, faculty, and guest artists, and served as the pianist for the LSU Contemporary New Music Ensemble. Her commitment to musical excellence has been further demonstrated through her role as a vocal coach for the opera program at Interlochen Center for the Arts, where she also contributed her expertise to the World Youth Honors Choir and Interlochen Singers.

Meredith’s research on Liszt’s William Tell Lieder was selected for presentation at LSU’s inaugural graduate research conference in April 2023 and she also presented at the LSU College of Music and Dramatic Arts Research Expo. She was recently invited to lead her session “Practical Applications of Mindfulness for Musicians” at the Florida State Music Teachers Association annual conference and also presented several papers on the vocal works of Ricky Ian Gordon at the University of Florida. 

Meredith holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Florida and a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from the University of West Florida, where she received the Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award in music. Additional awards for both solo and collaborative performances include first place in the UWF Student Scholars Symposium Concerto Competition and the UWF Collaborative Piano Competition, and finalist in the Catholic University of America International Piano Competition.