The word ‘Samling’ is a Norse word that means ‘gathering’ or ‘collective’ and the name still sums up exactly what we do. For thirty years, we have brought together talented young artists, expert leaders and audiences who are united by the unswerving commitment to excellence that underpins all our programmes.
Businessman Roger McKechnie founded Samling in 1996 together with Karon Wright who has led the charity as its artistic and executive director ever since. The very first concert of a series was in a converted barn on Lake Windermere, given by Katarina Karnéus, who had just won Cardiff Singer of the World, pianist Michael Pollock and poet Tony Harrison. This was followed by the first of our Artist Programme residencies which have continued ever since, led by world-class singers, conductors, pianists and actors. The Samling Artists who take part in these weeks remain at the heart of everything we do.
Katarina Karnéus & Michael Pollock (1995); Roger McKechnie & Karon Wright (1996); Patricia MacMahon, Simon Over, Malcolm Martineau & Thomas Allen, Samling Artist Programme (1997)
From the beginning our outreach work in schools reached thousands of young people across the North and in 2012 with the founding of Samling Academy we drew on the expertise of our Samling Artists and leaders to create a unique programme of coaching for young people aged 14–21 who live or study in the North East. Hundreds of singers have benefitted and we are seeing former Academy Singers returning to us as Samling Artists and progressing to careers on stages across Europe. Increasingly, the intake is coming from state secondary schools, thanks to the success of our Samling Futures outreach initiative and the creation of our ‘Singing Schools’.
In the early years we also ran a vibrant and innovative visual arts programme which, as well as a series of commissions and exhibitions for emerging young painters and sculptors, included large-scale projects. This culminated in arena in 2003 led by Sir Antony Gormley which saw five major public art installations across Tyne and Wear, including LAND, a huge light sculpture on the cliffs at Tynemouth and House-City in the centre of Newcastle. The five artists who were chosen each in turn mentored 12 A-level students who worked together over a period of months.
Full scale opera productions with Samling Artists followed in 2005 (Così fan tutte) and 2007 (Don Giovanni) directed by our Patron Sir Thomas Allen with Northern Sinfonia. With the formation of Samling Academy Opera we produced Albert Herring (2013), L’enfant et les sortilèges (2015), Venus and Adonis (2018) and Dido and Aeneas (2024). We have also presented hundreds of concerts at venues including Wigmore Hall, Sage Gateshead, Leeds Lieder, Oxford Song, St John’s Smith Square and Cadogan Hall as part of our ongoing support for Samling Artists and have collaborated with Southbank Sinfonia, Royal Northern Sinfonia and Dunedin Consort.
arena Tom Woolford (2003); Christopher Maltman & Leigh Woolf, Don Giovanni (2007); Gala with Royal Northern Sinfonia (2017)
The performing arts continue to face many challenges – some of them unimagined when we first began. We are building a legacy for the next decades, in the sure knowledge that whatever else changes in the world, there will be always be people who share our values to inspire musical excellence and a belief in the importance of investing in brilliant young people and creativity.
You can be part of our story by supporting our 30th anniversary appeal today
Main image: Outreach with Samling Artists & Southbank Sinfonia (2006).
