Karon Wright co-founded Samling with Roger McKechnie 30 years ago and as Artistic and Executive Director she has been the driving force behind all our work since the very beginning.
My earliest musical memory is…
… singing. I loved it and when I was at primary school in the West Highlands of Scotland the teacher would sometimes ask me to sing for the class at the end of the day.
The last piece of music I listened to was…
… Francesco Piemontesi playing Schubert’s piano sonata no.18 – it was so beautiful and held me fast to the end.
My three travel essentials are…
… my noise cancelling headphones, woolly socks and a good book.
My favourite place to relax is…
… in my garden and gardening. I can spend hours pottering about and have learned a lot about accepting what life throws at you by being around plants and nature.
The things that bring me joy are…
…my family, music and poetry.
The thing that most inspires me is…
… working with young people. Over the past 30 years of Samling I am always struck by their resilience, courage and how willing they are to trust and open their hearts to new thoughts and ideas and be brave.
My favourite opera is…
‘… Le nozze di Figaro’ which is surely one of the greatest works of art for all time. The final scene where the count begs forgiveness is the very definition of the sublime when disguises fall away and in a moment of stillness and grace we see humanity in all its complexity.
My best Samling memory…
… there are so many! But when I see and hear all those who we have worked with over the years succeed in their careers and wherever life takes them, I like to think back to when we first met them with all that potential and am glad that we helped them on their way.
