Art song – known as Lied in the German tradition - combines a solo voice with piano to bring poetry alive through intimate narrative and emotion. It breaks away from the opera’s spectacle, leaving just text and the singer-pianist dialogue. Tenor Harry Gant and pianist Isaac Chan are one of this year’s Cambridge Lieder Scheme pairings, while mezzo-soprano Doraly Gill and pianist Calvin Leung took part in the scheme last year. The two duos reveal how their first ‘musical blind date’ grew into something magical.

Building partnerships from scratch

When Harry and Isaac were first paired together, neither knew quite what to expect. Their first meeting was a musical blind date. “You can tell when someone’s got musicality – with a soul inside them. I look for someone open, easy to work with, someone you can experiment with,” says Isaac. Harry adds, “A good singer-pianist partnership only works if both people can collaborate, improvise a bit and get along.”

“You can tell when someone’s got musicality”

Last year’s duo, Doraly and Calvin, clicked instantly. Having not worked together properly before, they realised they make music in a very similar way. Their rehearsals were social as much as musical, as “we always start by having a chat”, she laughs. “It helps us settle, though it does not work for everyone.” The Lieder Scheme ‘match-makes’ new pairings based on ambition, not just musical taste. Doraly and Calvin share a love for heavy German Romanticism, whereas Harry and Isaac, have different musical tastes, “but we agree in musical interpretations,” says Harry.

Two voices, one storyteller

In Lieder, balance defines everything. The singer does not lead, nor the pianist follow – both tell the story together. “It’s not singer and accompanist,” Harry insists. “It has to be genuinely collaborative and passing the drama to each other.” Isaac agrees, “You’re two parts of a single voice, sharing the narrative.”

This equality demands trust. “Lieder is incredibly exposing,” says Doraly. “No props, no cast. Just your voice, the piano, the text, and a stage.” With nothing to hide behind, honesty becomes central. In opera, you inhabit someone else’s emotions. In Lieder, it’s your own – and that can be terrifying and liberating at once. Doraly adds, “The piano is your only partner, hence the level of intimacy is completely different. The human voice paired with the instrument’s timbre feels almost conversational.”

“You’re two parts of a single voice, sharing the narrative”

Her pianist, Calvin agrees and emphasises that “It’s not about accompaniment. As a pianist, you are giving the voice a space to reveal something true. That only works if the singer can trust that I’ll catch every nuance.” This intimacy reshapes the pianist’s approach entirely. “Unlike accompanying instrumentalists, when you’re playing for a singer it’s about the honesty of a tone – the human voice, as opposed to an instrument,” Calvin explains. “Part of being a pianist here is building a world in which the singer can take risks safely. That’s when real expression happens.” Once that trust is in place, the duo can step off the edge together - playing with rubato and sudden colour shifts differently each time, exploring new interpretations.

Crafting the performance

Rehearsal is equal parts conversation and craftsmanship. “Alignment is key,” Doraly states, as even slight mismatches in timing or phrasing show instantly. Advice from mentors can contradict, but Isaac sees that as part of learning: “Everyone gives different advice. You test it all - it’s trial and error.”

By performance time, communication has become instinctive. A glance can replace cues, and it is more about “responding” to each other’s emotions in real time, Harry notes. That intuition, born of shared vulnerability, makes audiences witness not just performance but connection.

“That intuition, born of shared vulnerability, makes audiences witness not just performance but connection”

Over the year, the duos now have a piece that feels distinctly theirs. A “signature piece,” as they call it. For Doraly and Calvin, it’s Mahler’s Lieder eins fahrenden Gesellen (Songs of a Wayfarer) No. 2, which they have revisited in coachings and concerts throughout the year. “Shaping it together and gradually aligning on the same interpretation created a version that feels uniquely ours,” says Doraly. Harry and Isaac’s hallmark is Schubert’s Ganymed, a song they’ve ‘pieced together bit by bit’ until voice and piano move as one.

Both duos describe the Lieder Scheme as more than coaching. It is a journey as a duo. “It really pushes you to work hard,” says Calvin, “but it also gives you depth – the kind of depth you’d expect from conservatoire training,” with intensive coaching, public masterclasses, and regular performances that force detailed repertoire refinement. Within Cambridge’s hectic term, busy schedules rarely permit such detailed refinement. Brilliant mentorship brings world-class art-song specialists into close contact with the duos, not simply to perfect Lieder but to explore what musical partnership really means.

Advice for future duos

Their advice for new singer-pianist pairs is to talk, listen and hang out. “Meet up and have a chat,” says Harry, “the social element is very important”. Calvin adds, “Do have an introductory hangout to avoid awkwardness during your first rehearsal.” He also suggested that “both should bring in songs and play through them to create an equal relationship.” In terms of scheduling rehearsals, Doraly reminds us to be “sympathetic to how busy that person might be.” And if you are the singer? “Do your homework – translate and interpret the text.”