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How to Prepare to Host a Piano Recital

Whether you’re new to planning recitals or you’ve been at it for years, there are a few things to think about as your big day approaches.

Musicnotes

Apr 14, 2023 • 7 min read

It’s piano recital season! Seasoned piano teachers know that putting on a recital is a big, exciting event and there is a lot that goes into the preparations. Newer teachers might be surprised by how quickly a recital can sneak up in the schedule.

From finding a venue to planning student repertoire and nailing down the details of the recital, there is a lot to think about.

Whether you’re new to planning recitals or you’ve been at it for years, here are some things to think about and double check as your big day approaches.

Find a venue

If you don’t have a secured place to hold your recital, you’ll want to start finding one as early in the school year as possible. A lot of venues book up quickly in the spring months as it’s a popular time for all kinds of performances and ceremonies.

If you’re having trouble finding a venue, ask your families if they have any connections to a venue with a piano that might work for your recital.

When you find a venue, make sure you know exactly how long you can use the space and what is included in your agreement. Find out if you can set up a rehearsal time if needed or if you can come early to set up or decorate. Will the piano be tuned before your recital? Is that your responsibility or theirs? If you need a gathering space and tables or chairs for your reception, find out if that is included. Also, be sure to ask about any special sound equipment, music stands or other items that you might need for your recital.

Plan and communicate ahead of time

Families are busy and juggling a lot in their schedules. The sooner they can get the piano recital on their calendar, the better.

Ideally, give them the date and time several months in advance so that they can prioritize your recital as other activities and commitments pop up. If you wait too late, there will be other plans that will take priority in your students’ calendars.

Be clear from the beginning if families are welcome to invite guests or if there are any costs associated with the recital, whether as a recital fee that each student pays or a ticket that guests will have to buy.

Plan your program

There may not be a whole lot to plan in your program ahead of time, but if you want your recital to have a specific theme, ensemble performances or any other special elements, you’ll want to have that sorted out early on so that you can have a gameplan as you plan and assign music to your students.

Plan and assign repertoire

It’s never too early to start preparing and practicing recital music. You want your students to play confidently at the recital, so it’s definitely ok to pick something that they’ve already learned and just need to polish.

If you’re selecting new music for your students, consider leveling down just a little bit. Even if you think your student can pull off something a bit challenging, plan for setbacks in the preparation process. Every student will likely miss a lesson or two during the months leading up to your recital. They may have a week or two with minimal practice. Even if the calendar seems to have enough weeks to prepare, there will always be something that pops up and throws off the preparation process.

Plus, you want your students to perform as confidently as possible. If you select music that is too much of a stretch, it will be much more challenging for students to work it up to a level where they can play with good continuity and musicality. It’s much more impressive to hear a student perform something a little easy that really sparkles than to perform a clumsy rendition of something more challenging.

In general, start preparing music earlier than you think you’ll need to. You won’t regret having over-prepared students and you’ll save yourself a lot of stress of wondering if certain students can pull off their pieces the week before the recital.

Plan the details of your recital

In the month or two leading up to your recital, you’ll want to sort out the details of your recital:

Do you plan to have any decorations at the recital? If yes, start shopping for and purchasing them.
Do you plan to serve any food at the recital? Will you ask families to bring anything or will you provide it all? If you plan to provide a special cake or baked goods, place your order well in advance.
Do you plan to have any photography or videography during the recital? If you’re using a professional, this is something to book further in advance, but if a parent, friend or family member is helping you with this, you don’t need quite as much lead time.
What do you plan to wear to the recital? Do you need to purchase any special clothing or book any appointments to prepare for your own appearance?
Will you speak at the recital or have an MC announce each student? Do you need to write a speech or prepare a script?
Are you giving out awards, gifts or favors to the students at the recital? Some teachers present their students with awards that they earned throughout the school year. Other teachers might give a flower or small gift to each student after they perform. This isn’t a necessary part of recitals, but one to plan ahead for if you plan to do it.
Start preparing for any tech situations. Maybe your program will include a slideshow on a projector or maybe you have specific sound issues to take care of, such as a student playing along with pre-recorded audio or a guest appearance from a singer or other musician that needs to be miked. Plan for these issues and what equipment is needed ahead of time.
Do you have any graduating seniors or other students who need to be acknowledged for big accomplishments?

This is a good time frame to confirm with your venue to make sure they still have your date set on their calendar with the terms you originally agreed to.

Also, start securing any help you’ll need from your students’ families, your own family or friends on the day of the recital, such as handing out programs, serving food or taking pictures.

The week of the recital

This is an exciting week and one where all of the details start coming together. It can feel stressful, but be mindful not to project your stress or anxiety about the recital onto your students.

Be sure your students are fully prepared to play their recital piece. Build rehearsal time into their lessons or hold additional rehearsal time outside of lessons. Make sure students have gone through every detail of performing from walking to the piano, adjusting the bench, getting their hands set up on the keys, playing their piece and adapting to mistakes or memory slips, taking a bow and returning to their seat. Give each student several opportunities to practice this routine.

At this point, it’s usually too late to make any musical changes to the music. If you notice any missing details such as an incorrect note or rhythm or a missing staccato or accent, it’s probably best to let it go. Many students, especially younger ones, have trouble making last minute changes to something that they’ve spent many weeks or months practicing.

Here are some other things that will need to come together this week:

Make sure your clothing is ready to go.
Pick up food and paper goods if you are serving food.
Print programs or have an alternate plan for programs, such as a digital program with a QR code or a projector showing the lineup.
Confirm with your venue.
Confirm any help that you have recruited, such as people serving food at your reception, taking photos or passing out programs.
If your recital is in an unfamiliar location or at a large venue where it might not be obvious where to go, print some signage to post on doors or in hallways to point your students and guests in the right direction when they show up.
Make sure your decorations are ready and you have a plan for when to put them in place.
Make sure you have any awards or gifts ready to be presented.
Rehearse what you plan to say if you are giving an opening or closing speech or announcing your students’ performance pieces.
Make a list of all of the items you need to take with you to the recital, especially miscellaneous items such as a music stand or an extra bench for duets.

A lot of work and preparation goes into preparing for a recital. It’s a really special day that you, your students and their families will remember for a long time. It’s definitely worth it to put in that extra effort to make it a really memorable and fun event.