Key Skills 2025 – Piano Teaching Workshops
Key Skills is RIAM Exam’s flagship annual workshop for piano teachers, devised and led by Professors Réamonn Keary and Lorna Horan.
Each year, these popular events explore the new RIAM Piano Album repertoire in detail, providing expert guidance on teaching
and performing the set pieces for exam success. Through live demonstrations, technical insights, and pedagogical strategies,
Key Skills equips teachers with the tools to help students progress confidently from their first exam to the final grades.
What’s New in 2025?
Key Skills 2025 presents the brand-new 2026 Piano Albums for Lower Grades (Elementary–Grade V), the final edition in our current four-year cycle (2023–2026).
All live workshops are one-day events (10:00 AM – 5:00 PM), progressing through the new repertoire in grade order. Teachers will also get access to insights on selected alternative repertoire for Higher Grades (Grades VI–VIII), with an on-demand review of the Higher Grades 2023–2026 material.
As always, you’ll come away with practical ideas to:
- Navigate technical and musical challenges
- Highlight stylistic character
- Guide students toward Distinction-level performances
What You’ll Learn
- How to bring out the style and character in each piece
- Suggested practice and teaching strategies for tricky sections
- How to elevate performances from Honours to Distinction
- Tips for building confidence ahead of exam day
- How to approach selected alternative repertoire for Higher Grades
Live One-Day Workshops
Join us in person for a full day of expert tuition and live performances:
- 24 August 2025 – glór, Ennis (Ennis Arts Centre), Co. Clare
Please note: There will be no Galway workshop in 2025.
- 24 August 2025 – Ursuline Convent, Thurles, Co. Tipperary
- 31 August 2025 – Vernon Studio, RIAM, Dublin (recorded for online replay)
On-Demand REPLAY – Available Mid-September
Can't attend in person? Access a high-quality recording of the Dublin workshop from 31 August, available online via our viewing platform (Vimeo) once post-production is complete. This option includes postal delivery of the Key Skills handbook (EIRCODE required).
Key Skills 2025 Handbook
All workshop participants—live and online—receive a copy of the Key Skills 2025 Handbook, featuring:
- Annotated scores and teaching notes for all Lower Grade pieces (Elementary–Grade V) from the 2026 Albums
- Selected Higher Grades repertoire from the Thematic Index
Live participants receive their copy on the day.
If you're unable to attend, you may:
- Nominate someone to collect it for you
- Request postal delivery for €10
REPLAY participants automatically receive the handbook by post (included in fee).
Meet the Tutors
Réamonn Keary
Professor of Piano and former Head of Keyboard at RIAM, Réamonn is a leading authority on piano pedagogy in Ireland. A long-time presenter of Piano Keys on RTÉ lyric fm and a respected adjudicator, he is the voice behind RIAM Exam's piano album recordings.
Lorna Horan
Chief Examiner (Music) at RIAM, Lorna is the editor and selector of the Junior Piano Albums and co-editor of Senior Albums. She leads the RIAM Aural Test recordings and brings her extensive training and experience to the Key Skills series each year.