Lorna Price

German for Musicians

Mezzo-Soprano teaching German to Musicians

Join a Course

  • Beginners

    Fridays on Zoom 09:00 - 10:30

    An online group A1 course, for those with some prior knowledge.


  • Intermediate

    Mondays on Zoom, 09:00 - 10:30

    An online group A2 course.

    Please email for a language consultation.

  • Advanced

    Starting January 2026.

    A B1+ level course. Perfect for those working towards B2 exam.

  • Practical German for Singers

    A 90 minute crash course on German for Auditions and Rehearsals. Kindly supported by London Singers’ Collective. In-person, 3rd September, 14:00 - 15:30

About me

British mezzo-soprano Lorna Price began her musical and linguistic training as a chorister at Llandaff Cathedral. It was her early experiences of singing Bach that motivated her to take up learning German.

Lorna continued her vocal studies at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where she sang as a Choral Scholar and read Modern and Medieval Languages (French and German). She specialised in German Baroque Opera, Singing Translations and German musicology of the Goethe-period, and graduated with First Class honours, with a university award for her spoken German. Whilst a student, she spent her year abroad working at the Press Office of the Wiener Staatsoper and at Schott Music International in Mainz, in the educational resources department.

Today, Lorna  pursues a portfolio career of solo and ensemble performance and German language training and translations for musicians, with a particular emphasis on Early Music. She started her online language school, German for Musicians in 2023, and since starting, has worked with over 100 musicians online to learn German. Previous students can be found in Opera studios in Mannheim, Munich, on the stage at the Festspiele in Bayreuth and studying in Germany’s leading conservatoires. Her aim is to support musician’s wider professional development, with the additional aim of being able to work in German-speaking countries.

As a Mezzo, she performs with some of the UK's and Europe’s leading vocal ensembles, including the Monteverdi Choir, Pygmalion, BBC Singers, Collegium Vocale Gent, Utopia Choir, Tenebrae and ORA Singers. On Sundays, Lorna sings with the Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea. Lorna regularly performs as a step-out soloist, particularly enjoying oratorio and part-song work. She was a Monteverdi Choir Apprentice for the 2023 / 2024 season. Upcoming engagements include Castor et Pollux at the Opéra National de Paris in 2025, a tour of Handel’s Theodora with Jupiter Ensemble and new productions at the Salzburger Festspiele with Pygmalion and Utopia.

Lorna’s translations span an eclectic array of musical media. From surtitle translations, to advertising texts, biographies, and teaching and learning materials for music, her translations have appeared in media, print and publications of the Wiener Staatsoper, Welsh National Opera, Schott Music International, Wigmore Hall, Glyndebourne, and of the Goethe-Institut. Privately, her clients have included orchestral and vocal artists of international acclaim. She has translated for performance, with a notable singing translation of the comedic Singspiele of Reinhard Keiser.

She is a German speaker of near-native proficiency, and as a language coach and teacher, she qualified under the Goethe-Institut’s international Grünes Diplom for teachers of German world-wide, with whom she has been working since 2020. She continues to deliver workshops to schools offering a first taste of the German language through music, with the hope of motivating young people to learn the language that launched her career.

Lorna has facilitated and delivered nation-wide programmes for access into music and languages, in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut (Learn German through Song for Primary Schools, Yeah Yeah Yeah; Singing the Beatles in German), and as part of Tenebrae's acclaimed Singing Schools programme. She is known for her spirited comedic energy and enthusiasm for languages and music, which she hopes to inspire in those with whom she works.

Short Courses

  • Crash course sessions for German speakers of any level. Learn how to introduce yourself, say your repertoire and key vocabulary for auditions. 1-1, £50 an hour.

  • Taking on a rehearsal contract? Learn key rehearsal language. Please enquire for an estimate of hours required to suit your level.

    Course to include at request:

    • Rehearsal markings

    • Tempi and musical directions

    • Dynamics

    • Intervals

    • Music notation

    • Metaphor and interpretation

    1-1, £50 an hour.

  • Always wanted to approach agents? Learn how to formulate emails in German.

    1-1, £50 an hour.

My Work

  • German for Musicians

    Learn German for work, or as part of your continued professional development. Join one of my groups or contact me for 1-1 options

  • Translations for Musicians

    From singable translations of Opera and Lieder to advertising, and teaching and learning materials. Previous clients include Schott Music International, Wigmore Hall, Wiener Staatsoper, Garsington and the Goethe-Institut.

  • Language Coaching

    Receive specialist pronunciation coaching 1-1 online, or book me to come and support a rehearsal.

Contact

FAQs

  • Music and German go hand-in-hand! In a post-Brexit climate, the need to learn German and maintain musical and cultural links with Germany is more important than ever. Whether you would like learn German to understand Lieder texts or to open up the possibility of taking on contract within the German-speaking world, your course will be tailored to your musical and linguistic needs.

  • Learning a language is like learning an instrument. Musicians are, in my experience, excellent linguists on account of their musical ear. Every learner is different, and there is no lower or upper limit on the lessons you can book. You can also request lessons for specific contexts, for example, German for orchestral rehearsals. Please drop me a message and we can find a pattern that works for you.

  • The German language and music are my two loves. My lessons seek to combine linguistic development with a joyful and playful discovery of Germany, its culture and its language.

  • I charge a £62.70 for a generous hour online 1-1 of a bespoke programme, tailored to your needs. Lessons of 1.5 hours are calculated pro rata.

    Group courses advertised above are £330, paid in a block of ten.

    Group courses for up to 15 participants can also be booked if you would like to group up with some friends. Please enquire for group bookings, and I will discuss price based on individual requests.

  • It depends on the texts involved - please contact me for an estimate.

  • For a morning workshop of two hours at a private school, I charge £250 for groups up to 250 participants in size.If you are in the state sector, please send me a message.