@LintonStephens I feel very offended !

@MrAccompanist I’m sorry to offend you. But it is how I feel. Accompanist just doesn’t give these wonderful musicians the accolade they deserve

@LintonStephens Same here. (plus, I can never remember to spell it!)

@LintonStephens So true. These people are incredible musicians 😍

@LintonStephens Still prefer it to accompanyist

@LintonStephens Under appreciated skill. The accompanist my son uses is very good, but he was mightily impressed by their skills when he went through auditions last autumn for a Conservatoire place.

@LintonStephens I always say violin and piano duet, a song performed by soprano --- and pianist --- etc etc. Haven't written "accompanist" in decades. Similarly I never review an opera or MT show without mentioning the orchestra/band.

@LintonStephens Not to mention being expected to follow along when the ‘soloist’ screws up… Our voice teacher encourages the use of “collaborative accompanist” which helps, but it is interesting to note that it is only at the professional level that we see the performers as equals

@LintonStephens Collaborative Pianist was (is?) the term used at my alma mater, in the late 90s, early 00s at least

@LintonStephens @1chriswebber Would "Collaborative Piano/Pianist" be more acceptable? I've thought that is more appropriate, but then I'm not a pianist ...

@LintonStephens I used to do a lot of accompanying…for me a lot more stressful & challenging than being a soloist! I really couldn’t do it now. It requires the utmost musical sensibilities.🎼

@LintonStephens Contingent surely on the current status of the soloist; I've been to recitals where the accompanist was clearly more talented & able than the 'name' solo star out front, depends who the record co. want to promote; audiences quickly discern whose music-making is delivering the joy

@LintonStephens My choir is blessed to have a professional opera repetiteur “slumming it” as our accompanist (says our MD). At my recent audition to join the choir I handed over my music (sop solo and piano) and moments later was soaring over the top of a full orchestral reduction. Glorious.

@LintonStephens I always feel sorry for singers when people refer to “singers and musicians”!

@LintonStephens It’s offensive to composers too! I’ll be damned if my piano parts are “accompaniments”. Is that why I bother to put all those bloody notes in them?

@LintonStephens There’s a great article about this debate written by Hamilton Harty way back in 1900’s. But not much has changed…..

@LintonStephens I always consider a singer & accompanist to be a team. They can’t perform successfully unless they collaborate & complement each other.

@LintonStephens At @sibeliusacademy we call them "chamber pianists"