Miranda Wright became a Samling Artist in 1999. After performing professionally for several years, she discovered a passion for teaching. Since the creation of Samling Academy in 2012, she has been a valued member of the coaching team and has also directed Samling Academy Opera productions and summer concerts. Miranda joined the vocal staff at the Royal College of Music in 2023 and is Head of Classical Singing at Newcastle University. She will direct this year’s Samling Academy semi-staged production ‘Lost and Found’.
My earliest musical memory is…
dancing around in my nightie to a recording of Swan Lake, aged about three or four. Later these ‘performances’ became more organised and I cajoled our patient neighbours in to be the audience!
The last piece of music I listened to was…
the Unst Boat Song performed by the Danish String Quartet. It’s a real favourite in our house. Although Unst is in Shetland, this haunting melody always reminds me of time spent in the Hebrides with family.
In my spare time, I like to…
walk in Weardale with my friend. We have been walking together weekly since lockdown and it’s a wonderful time to de stress and catch up on each other’s lives.
The musician I most admire is…
Dame Janet Baker. I have been listening to her my whole life.
My happy place is…
The Ship Inn, Low Newton by the Sea. Happy times with friends and family eating crab sandwiches and walking along the Northumbrian coastline.
The possession I would most hate to lose is …
the upright piano that I learned to play on. I was brought up in a single parent family and when my Mum realised that I was musical (too much prancing around in my nightie!) she decided we needed a piano in the house. She found one in the back of a junk shop and thought it sounded nice and it was cheap. It turned out to be a Bechstein model from around 1900, complete with brass candlesticks! She obviously had a good ear!
The best thing I’ve ever found is…
empty, white beaches at Scarista, on the Isle of Harris.
My favourite Samling Academy memory is …
So many to choose from – that’s very hard! I love the support that the young singers give each other in their masterclass groups. If someone has a breakthrough, either technical or interpretative, we all feel involved in that special moment. It’s pure magic!
