On the 9–11 March Samling will be auditioning young singers from or based in the North East of England. Up to 30 singers will be selected to participate in Samling Academy 2018.
Samling Academy provides a ‘conservatoire’ standard environment for young singers from the age of 14 who or are studying in the North East. In October each year we offer six days of intensive classical singing training including vocal masterclasses and tuition, workshops in acting and movement and language coaching, culminating in a public concert. Training continues throughout the year building towards performances and a biennial opera production. This July, our current cohort look forward to collaborating with leading early music specialist John Butt and the renowned Dunedin Consort in a performance of John Blow’s Venus and Adonis, widely considered to be the first English opera.
Samling Academy brings world class artists such as Caroline Dowdle (from the Royal Opera House), Nicky Spence (Samling Artist and tenor), Mandy Demetriou (choreographer and movement coach at the National Opera Studio and the Royal Opera House) and James Baillieu (award-winning pianist, Samling Artist and Professor of Accompaniment at the Royal Academy of Music) to the North East to provide a very special learning environment for up to 30 young people each year.
The kind of young person we are hoping to find is someone with a good voice who might be taking singing lessons, either privately, in school, or at a Music Hub.
Recommendation and Application
In previous years, we have called for singing teachers, music teachers and lecturers to recommend candidates and provide their details. We would then make contact with the candidate and schedule an audition. In respect of institutional confidentiality and tightening Data Protection laws, we now ask that those wishing to recommend candidates provide us only with a name. Candidates are then required to fill out an online application form themselves. Application for Samling Academy is done via this online application form.
Applicants will only be invited to audition if we receive both a recommendation and a completed application form.
If you are interested in auditioning for Samling Academy 2018, please ask your singing teacher, music teacher or lecturer to write their recommendation to peter@samling.org.uk by Monday 26 February 2018. Then please fill out our online application form. The deadline for the form is Friday 2 March 2018.
Auditions will take place in Northumbria University on Friday 9, Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 March.
Audition Requirements
Those invited to audition will be asked to prepare three pieces of music to perform from memory including one in a language other than their own. We also ask that singers arrange to bring their own accompanist.
The Samling Academy weekends this year will take place on 12–14 and 26–28 October with the concert taking place at 7.30pm showcasing the work on Sunday 28 October at Sage Gateshead. Members of the 2018 cohort will also have the opportunity to perform alongside the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Samling Artists in upcoming opportunities.