Finding an accompanist in Calgary, Alberta, Canada?

Question:I am a singer in RCM g9 who has a greater need for accompanists now and though my teacher is a professional pianist and accompanist for at least 15 years, she cannot always play for me because she teaches a lot. However, I find it quite hard to find an accompanist and my last one turned out to be a disaster. I do have a list of accompanist's email that I can contact, but I am not sure how I would know if one is good enough and I would feel really terrible to turn them away, so any suggestions on how to find an accompanist, and how to find a GOOD one as well?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I am a singer in RCM g9 who has a greater need for accompanists now and though my teacher is a professional pianist and accompanist for at least 15 years, she cannot always play for me because she teaches a lot. However, I find it quite hard to find an accompanist and my last one turned out to be a disaster. I do have a list of accompanist's email that I can contact, but I am not sure how I would know if one is good enough and I would feel really terrible to turn them away, so any suggestions on how to find an accompanist, and how to find a GOOD one as well?

I'd contact colleges also. Gotta be piano performance and music majors out there at schools. Really, the only way you can hear someone play is to hear them play. It would cost a little money, but I would contact whoever you want to check out, and pay them for a rehearsal session - just hire them to play for you in a practice room for an hour. That way you can check them out and see how responsive they are to you. Smart to look into it! Often, just because someone is a pianist, that doesn't mean they are a good accompanist.