choral accompanying resources
There is nothing quite like accompanying a choir at the piano.
The pianist often functions as the sole accompaniment for a group of singers, which requires attention to balance and a translation of the desires of the conductor at the keyboard. Good sightreading skills are essential for learning a significant amount of music quickly, and savvy musicianship skills are needed to identify and prioritize what needs playing at what time.
Wherever you are at on your choral accompanying journey, I hope these resources help you along your way!
open score summer intensive
June 18-20, 2026
Join me LIVE for a three‑day online intensive offering practical, hands‑on analysis and guided open‑score practice for choral accompanists and directors, helping you confidently play everything from Bach chorales to fugues.
two online workshops for you!
Not ready for a full summer intensive? Try just one of the following Open Score workshops and see what you think!
Open Score Reading Workshop
Open score reading (reading multiple voice parts on different staves) is one of the hardest skills to master as a choral accompanist. But it is not impossible to learn! I am excited to announce an online workshop that I created specifically to share strategies for How To Read Open Score with you. We will begin by discussing how to layer each voice part in gradually, and then work on expanding your vision by exploring:
- What to look for in a first reading
- How to “triage” a score in real time
- Practice tips to help you get comfortable with open score
When you register for the workshop, you will receive a Student Handbook with practical exercises for use during the class, tip sheets for scanning and preparing a score, and further resources for practice long after the class is over. These tools will help you prepare efficiently and effectively to support your choir.
Open Score: Canons and Fugues Workshop
Read to level up your open score reading game? After you have mastered reading open score chorales for SATB (or at least have a good level of familiarity with the music), it becomes necessary to learn what to do when voices have a mind of their own and move independently of one another. In this workshop we will cover:
- Navigating multiple entrances
- Making sense of dense passages
- How to tackle melismas and voice crossings
- Practical strategies to grow your confidence in reading open score canons and fugues
In addition to looking at music for voices scored SATB, we will take a brief look at music written for SSA.
This workshop also includes a Student Handbook with practical exercises for use during the class and further resources for practice long after the class is over.
