Sophia Ward – Piano Accompanist/Piano Teacher
Piano Accompanist in Birr
Sophia is a professional piano accompanist based in Birr, County Offaly and working primarily in the midlands. She will happily accompany your choir, wedding ceremony, funeral or cultural/corporate event. She can provide live background music for events – her repertoire is vast so she can tailor the music to suit your requirements. A professional-standard digital piano and sound equipment can be provided if necessary. She can also arrange to have a professional singer for your event.
Sophie also provides individual piano tuition at her home in Birr. Her timetable is currently full for September 2026, but if you have an interest do contact us and we can add you to the waiting list. There will be summer tuition available in July 2026, open to everyone. See here for more details.
Curriculum Vitae
Sophie’s past studies include 8 years at the Royal Irish Academy of Music where she studied music theory and was a piano student of Therese Fahy. During her time at the Academy she was the recipient of a music scholarship, a prize winner in many in-house competitions and the winner of two solo piano competitions in the national Feis Ceoil.
She studied French and Music at Trinity College Dublin. Following her B.A. she moved to Hungary, where she completed 2 post-graduate diplomas in piano accompaniment and piano pedagogy at the Kodaly Institute of the Liszt Academy of Music. She was the recipient of a scholarship form the Balassi Institute in 2012 and 2013 and also received funding from the Arts Council of Ireland for Travel and Training abroad, 2010 – 2012.
She lived in Lyon, France for ten years and co-founded the Kodaly music school Bouge et Chante where she worked as a pianist and taught piano and early-years music. She was treasurer for the National French Kodaly Association, La Voix de Kodaly en France and a lecturer in Kodaly-piano pedagogy on their summer courses.
She has given recitals as both a soloist and accompanist in France, the UK, Hungary and Ireland. She was recently appointed as an examiner with the Royal Irish Academy of Music. In 2024 she co-founded the Birr Sing It! Community Choir with Gregory Ward and currently accompanies the Birr Young Voices children’s choirs.
Concerts
Upcoming Concerts
Shorelines Festival, September 2026, Portumna
A concert of English art songs with baritone Pascal Kennedy. Programme to include the song cycles Songs of Travel by Ralph Vaughan Williams and A Shropshire Lad by George Butterworth. Details to follow
Recent Concerts
Birr Festival of Music Pop-up Performance at Woodfield Cafe, Birr.
A short 40 minute programme of piano favourites and songs in collaboration with baritone Pascal Kennedy.
The Road Home 3pm on the 2nd May 2026, St. Brendan’s Church of Ireland, Birr.
A concert with the Birr Sing It! Community Choir and guest soloists baritone Pascal Kennedy and mezzo soprano Sarah Luttrell.
This concert was part of the Birr Festival of Music 2026
Echoes of Ireland: A Century of Irish Song.
https://www.birrfestivalofmusic.com/a-century-of-irish-song
A collaboration with mezzo Clare Dixon. Sunday 5th October, St. Brendan’s Church of Ireland, Birr.
Recent Gigs
Birr Festival of Music 2025
Pop-up recitals during the festival with soprano Breffni Fitzpatrick.
Birr Young Voices Concert, St. Brendan’s Church, Birr
Sing It! Summer Concert, Birr Castle Courtyard
Omna Voces and Cloughjordan Choir Spring Concert, 13th April
Brrrr it’s Christmas 2024– a Christmas concert with Sing It Community Choir, Birr Stage Guild Choir, soloists John Molloy and Celine Byrne.
Birr Young Voices children’s choir – Autumn concert
Sing It! Summer Concert, Birr Castle Courtyard, June 2024
Birr Festival of Music 2024
Pop-up recital with soprano Ann Hogan, Memory Lane, Birr
Birr Young Voices Concert, St. Brendan’s Church, Birr
OFFline Film Festival 2023
Silent Movie Night
Curated and performed live piano for Andrew Legge’s silent film The Unusual Inventions of Henry Cavendish and Buster Keaton’s One Week
Birr Vintage Week and Arts Festival 2023
Silent Movie Night, John’s Hall, Birr
Curated and performed live music with banjo and foley artist for silent films.
Birr Vintage Week and Arts Festival 2023
Classical Evening, John’s Hall Birr
A varied programme of solo pieces, songs and duets with sopranos Clare McEvoy and Julie Shanley
Education
British Kodaly Summer Course 2023
Piano masterclasses with Dr. Orsolya Szabo
Conducting and solfege classes
Kodaly Institute of the Liszt Academy of Music, Kesckemét, Hungary
Post-graduate Diploma in Lied Accompaniment
Post-graduate Diploma in Piano Pedagogy
Trinity College Dublin
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music (Honours)
Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin
Solo piano tuition with pianist Therese Fahy
Music Theory to Advanced Grade
Kodaly Institute Summer Course, 2013 and 2014
Piano masterclasses with Dr. Orsolya Szabo
Conducting and Solfege classes
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