The Art of Being a Collaborative Pianist (July 8, 2025)

From left to right: The celebrated collaborative artist Martin Katz talking about his work; Kathleen Battle singing “O mio babbino caro” accompanied by pianist Warren Jones; the same aria sung by Maria Callas with Robert Sutherland at the piano; Sonya Yoncheva with Malcolm Martineau.  Notice how each interpretation is slightly different, with each making unique demands on the collaborative pianist.

Looking back on the performances I gave with Celeste Siciliano and Philip Phillips last month, the experience of performing in collaboration with two singers proved an immense learning experience.

The concept of ensemble, or working together with other performers in a way that brings out every nuance of the music, can be as exciting as it is challenging.  I personally believe this is because when a pianist is working with singers as opposed to other instrumentalists there is a much greater need to use instinct and intuition than just notes to guide the performance.  One has to be not only aware of when a singer takes a breath, but also what kind of breath, long or short, deep or shallow, as the composer and the phrasing help to determine the overall flow of both the music and the accompaniment.

Mr. Alexander always says that for a singer the body is the instrument and not the voice, and I believe this to be very true, which is why I found myself paying special attention to when the singers took breaths so that I could always be as prepared as possible.

The challenge of being a collaborative pianist for me is being as prepared as possible, while also being flexible enough to make changes and adjustments in the moment.  It is why I chose to memorize the scores so that my full attention could be focused on the singer, especially in the event something was different in performance than in rehearsal, which many times is the case.  This approach definitely creates challenges, but they are challenges I enjoy.

In researching the topic of collaborative artists I discovered that there are many people who have made an entire career of accompanying singers. Among them are Martin Katz, Warren Jones, Robert Sutherland, and Malcolm Martineau, just to name a few.  I am featuring the last three performing “O mio babbino caro” with three different sopranos.  

Notice how, even with the same score, there are many slight variations in the aria based on the singer’s choices.  Pay attention to tempi, rubati, and how long some of the notes are held.  These are also things which must be the focus of the collaborative pianist as well.

Please let me know in the Comments which performance you like best, both from the standpoint of the singer and the collaborative pianist, and why.  

Thanks very much!