Boston Singers' Resource News Bulletin, May 7, 2002


This BSR News issue features Timothy Steele, one of our fabulous accompanists from the 2002 Annual Audition on March 23. Known all over the area for his expert accompanying/coaching skills, Tim has some wonderful things to say about the field, and advice to give aspiring players.

TIMOTHY STEELE has a varied and extensive background as a collaborative pianist, vocal coach, audition pianist, chamber musician, and educator. In the field of opera he has served as assistant conductor/pianist for over 65 productions with 15 different companies, including Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Wolf Trap Opera, Central City Opera, Opera Aperta, Des Moines Metro Opera, and Long Beach Opera. He currently is in his tenth year on the opera faculty at the New England Conservatory of Music.

In Boston he performs regularly in the weekly Bach cantatas at Emmanuel Church and has performed with the Handel and Haydn Society, the Auros Group for New Music, and the American Repertory Theatre, amoung others. He also plays frequently throughout the area as an organist, is an active recitalist, and has extensive additional experience in light opera and musical theatre.

BSR: Are you a native of New England?

Tim: First of all I'm flattered to be featured in the BSR bulletin. While I have some New England roots (my father attended Boston University) I actually grew up in and around Des Moines, Iowa. I earned my BM degree there from Drake University, then went to the University of Southern California for a masters in accompanying. I taught for a year at Irvine Valley Community College, then for several years at Chapman University (Orange, CA) before moving to Boston in 1990.

BSR: Why did you choose to remain in New England as an accompanist/coach?

Tim: I must confess, being a lifelong Red Sox and Celtic fan(atic) played a part in my desire to make Boston my permanent home (as anyone who knows me well can attest). Aside from that, the Boston music scene has always interested me and continually impresses me in its diversity, quality, and sense of community. While it was a challenge to "break into the scene" initially (when I moved to Boston I had no employment and only knew one person in town), it has felt like home since the moment I arrived. I have since married and am raising 3-year old twins, so I am in no hurry to head anywhere else.

BSR: How did you end up choosing accompanying/coaching over a solo concert career?

Tim: It chose me really. I love accompanying, and ever since 4th grade I've been playing for some group or other. Accompanying as a pursuit makes all the sense in the world if it's something you enjoy doing. Schools every year graduate hundreds of "piano performance" majors who study just their solo repertoire and at times are discouraged from even trying ensemble playing. Ironically, if one is truly interested in performing they are apt to have many, many more opportunities to do so as a chamber musician, song recitalist, choral accompanist, and/or opera coach. And no matter where you go, opportunities for good accompanists abound in comparison. (I'll never forget once congratulating a friend of mine who had just won first prize at a very prestigious competition for solo pianists; she was working at a grocery store and was sacking my groceries at that moment.) So few opportunities exist outside of teaching for solo pianists, and increasingly more schools are recognizing the value of providing the much-needed training that produces skilled accompanists. This training might well include the study of languages (especially diction), sight-reading, transposing, rehearsal and ensemble techniques, score reading, basic knowledge of vocal and instrumental technique, sensitivity to conducting, recit. playing, poetry, organ and harpsichord, coaching techniques, operatic style, massive amount of repertoire (everyone else's!), and so on. The rewards are too many to list, but the deep personal and musical relationships that one develops through collaboration are certainly highest on that list.

Tim has just finished playing for "Hansel and Gretel" at NEC and "La Boheme" with Boston Lyric Opera. This summer he will "stay put in Boston for a change." He is very excited about a production of "Don Giovanni" that he will be doing with Opera Aperta in August. "A wonderful company," Tim says, "whose mission it is to feature local singers." Tim will also be involved in recording a new opera by Maine composer Roger Rudenstein over the next month as well as preparing for fall recitals and shows.

For more information about any of his upcoming performances, or to contact Timothy Steele please email: timeliz@gis.net