Stephen received a BM in piano performance from the University of Houston with Dr. Tali Morgulis and an MM in performance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts with Dr. Dmitri Shteinberg. Currently, Stephen is a doctoral piano student of Dr. Rène Lecuona at the University of Iowa. Stephen has won top prizes in the Rosen Schaffel Concerto Competition and the San Jacinto Young Artist Competition, and he was selected by composer Michael Rothkopf to make the official recording of his Chaconne for Piano and Computer. Stephen received his Suzuki training in Chicago and Virginia with Caroline Fraser and Joan Krzywicki.
His wife, Ana Maria, is a doctoral clarinet student at UI, and they were recently joined by their first baby, Anastasia Sophia.