Stephen Martorella began his studies at The Juilliard School in New York. He later attended Mannes College of Music; Queens College at the City University of New York; and the Hartt College of Music at the University of Hartford. His piano teachers included Josef Raieff, Nadia Reisenberg, Artur Balsam, and Murray Perahia. He also received tutoring in organ and conducting. He enjoys an international reputation as both soloist and conductor; he has often appeared in concert with his brother, Philip Martorella, as a two-piano duo.

A native New Yorker, Stephen Martorella is currently Minister of Music at the First Baptist Church in America, Providence, Rhode Island; organist for Temple Shalom in Middletown, Rhode Island; and an adjunct instructor at Rhode Island College. He formerly served as an artistic director for the South County Chamber Singers, Kingston. He also served as the organist for Temple Torat Yisrael, Cranston; and held faculty positions at the University of Rhode Island and Salve Regina University.

In 1989, Stephen Martorella was both soloist and conductor with the American Wind Symphony in a joint concert with the Wind Orchestra of the Soviet Army in St. Petersburg’s (formerly Leningrad) October Hall. He has also appeared as soloist in Belfast, London, Paris, and Miami, and on live broadcast as part of the Kerkrade summer festival in the Netherlands.

As both soloist and conductor, he has given U.S. and world premieres of several major works of contemporary composers, including the New York premiere of Flor Peeters' Concerto for Piano and Organ. He also gave the world premieres of Geoffrey Gibbs' Partita for Organ, Strings and Percussion, and of Gibbs’ “Intavolatura of Song, A Chamber Symphony.”

A resident of Rhode Island since 1975, Stephen Martorella has made frequent appearances with such groups as the Rhode Island Civic Chorale; the Rhode Island State Ballet; the Providence New Music Ensemble; Music on the Hill; the Rhode Island College Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Music Series; Swanhurst Chorale; and the American Band.

The Providence Journal-Bulletin wrote, Stephen Martorella is “a performer of the most refined musical tastes and abilities.”