Here he worked as a musical teacher from 1979 and later as professor and head of the percussion department.
[2] From the mid-1970s he was an active performer as drummer, and he stepped in as timpanist in Trondheim Symphony Orchestra (1974–75).
To date, Samkopf has received more than 40 commissions from institutions, ensembles and performers such as Harmonien, the Swedish Radio, Bergen Wind Quintet, NRK, Arts Council Norway, Collage Dance Company, Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, NorDans Productions, the Arctic Arts Festival, Eirik Raude and Kjell Tore Innervik.
His artistic partnership with choreographer Lise Nordal is a cornerstone of this compositional vein.
In addition to a number of shorter ballets, Samkopf and Nordal have created five full-length productions Aqua (1986), Tidevann (1990), Til Elise (1996), Entré (2000) and Silent Gliss (2004).