
RECITALS / TALKS / EVENTS

RECITALS / TALKS / EVENTS
As the incoming President of Trinity College, I’m delighted to welcome you to another season of Events at Trinity. Since the (then) Prince of Wales opened the magnificent Levine Building in Trinity’s woodland garden, we have welcomed thousands of members of the public to enjoy tours, talks and performances. We would love to welcome you – either for the first time or to return. Whether you’re a school student, an Oxford resident, a visitor to our city, a member of the University or an alumnus, we hope you will find something to spark your curiosity.
Trinity College acknowledges with gratitude the generous support of the Events at Trinity programme by Professor Kim Nasmyth, Emeritus Fellow.
Sir Robert Chote
President, Trinity College
This season’s concerts focus on personality, bringing some of the world’s most charismatic musicians to the de Jager Auditorium.
We start with the annual residency of the Oxford International Song Festival which attracts artists and audiences from across the world.
The monthly Trinity Recitals begin in December with seminal works from Schubert’s last great creative period with three supreme artists playing together as a trio.
We welcome the return of James Ehnes on a worldwide tour to celebrate a significant year for him, and two very contrasting singers with exceptional communicative skills.
The outstanding German pianist and thinker, Christian Zacharias and Oxford’s own Schola Cantorum complete the line-up of artists.
Book early to avoid disappointment.
John Summers OBE Music Events Director
In today’s world of profound uncertainty, traditional decision-making frameworks fall short. Where appropriate, we can assess and evaluate probabilities for well-defined events. But when facing “deep” uncertainty, where we cannot even imagine all the possible futures, conventional methods become impractical.
This talk by eminent statistician David Spiegelhalter explores some essential qualities for navigating our uncertain age. By cultivating imagination, humility and resilience, we can better face an unpredictable future – not by eliminating uncertainty, but by developing the capacity to adapt and recover when the unexpected inevitably occurs.
Old stuff for some, sacred belongings to others – how do we include new audiences in museum practice
What does it mean to care for objects that are sacred to others? How do museums confront histories of empire and extraction? And how can they become spaces of inclusion, relevance and repair as audiences change in their demographics and how they approach museum spaces and collections? Two leading museum directors explore the tensions between traditional collecting practices and the urgent need to engage new, often marginalised, audiences.
Dr Gus Casely-Hayford OBE is the founding Director of V&A East, a museum and collection centre. Professor Laura van Broekhoven is Director of Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum and Professor of Museum Studies, Ethics and Material Culture at the University of Oxford.
Tue 11 Nov 2025 / 5.30pm
Tickets £10 / students £5 de Jager Auditorium
Tue 18 Nov 2025 / 5.30pm
Tickets £10 / students £5 de Jager Auditorium
Educating girls who will change the world
As a college freshman, Shabana Basij-Rasikh co-founded SOLA, which would become the only boarding school for girls in Afghanistan.
In 2021, days after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, she led the dramatic evacuation of the school from Afghanistan to Rwanda where it operates as the only boarding school for Afghan girls in the world, a place of hope and promise. Shabana describes this haven where Afghan girls will always be free to learn.
Regulating harm: Can stronger online and AI controls tame the web?
Digital platforms now shape everything from childhood social interaction to democracy –with fears growing that not enough is being done to protect vulnerable users from harmful online content. The UK government’s Online Safety Act promises to tackle illegal and harmful content. But critics warn of sweeping state powers, vague definitions and unintended consequences for privacy, free speech and innovation.
Dame Melanie Dawes is the Chief Executive of the media regulator Ofcom, and will explore the growing role of the public sector in keeping users safe online, the legal and ethical challenges this presents, and what’s at stake as we redraw the boundaries of digital freedom.
Tue 20 Jan 2026 / 5.30pm
Tickets £10 / students £5 de Jager Auditorium
Tue 27 Jan 2026 / 5.30pm
Tickets £10 / students £5 de Jager Auditorium
Can Europe look after its own security?
Europe has long depended on the US to guarantee its security. The experience of Russo-Ukraine War and the uncertainties surrounding US policy have underlined the need for European states to do more for their own security.
Renowned historian and strategist Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman asks whether Europe can rise to this challenge. Does it have the political will, strategic coherence and military capability to protect its own interests. With deep expertise in international strategy, war and diplomacy, Freedman offers sharp insight into what Europe must confront – and what it must become –in a dangerously unstable world.
Is the British government broken? In the wake of the pandemic it can feel as if the systems that keep Britain functioning are breaking down: from the NHS to local government services to the justice system. But is this the result of recent political choices, global pressures or systemic problems built into the British state? Offering unique insights into the systems and events that have shaped that last decade (at least) of British government are Hannah White, CEO of the Institute for Government, and Simon Case, former Cabinet Secretary and Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister from 2020 to 2024.
Tue 10 Feb 2026 / 5.30pm
Tickets £10 / students £5 de Jager Auditorium
Tue 3 Mar 2026 / 5.30pm
Tickets £10 / students £5 de Jager Auditorium
England, Scotland and Wales go to the polls
In the run up to the May 2026 elections to the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Senedd, and English councils, this distinguished panel will discuss what the campaigns in the three nations tell us about what is at stake, possible outcomes, and the unity – or otherwise – of the United Kingdom.
The panel brings together the leading academic election analysts for the BBC and ITN Professors John Curtice and Jane Green, the award-winning Financial Times journalist Stephen Bush, and the Plaid Cymru MP – and Trinity alumnus –Ben Lake. The panel will be chaired by Trinity’s Fellow and Tutor in Politics, Professor Stephen Fisher
Tue 28 Apr 2026 (TBC) / 5.30pm
Tickets £10 / students £5 de Jager Auditorium
Sport has become one of the biggest of big businesses as well as a source of global interest and entertainment. The high stakes involved have brought sport into constant collision with the law, politics and morality. Controversies over sportwashing and Olympic blacklisting show how sport can both promote positive values and present challenges where moral and legal boundaries blur.
Join us to hear about how some of these high-profile issues have been dealt with by Michael Beloff KC, described in The Times as ‘probably the world’s most renowned sports lawyer’, with more than half a century of involvement in the field as an author, advocate and arbitrator.
Inequality of income influences so much in our society. Because economic inequality is the water we swim in, we often do not see its influence or notice what kinds of inequality are most harmful. This inequality helps determine who most often gains power; how policies are thought about and formulated; health outcomes for entire countries; and how governments view their role and how people view their governments.
Danny Dorling is the 1971 Professor of Geography at the University of Oxford. He makes international comparisons and local studies.
Tue 12 May 2026 / 5.30pm
Tickets £10 / students £5 de Jager Auditorium
Tue 19 May 2026 / 5.30pm
Tickets £10 / students £5 de Jager Auditorium
Telling stories is a fundamental element of song, and this year’s Oxford International Song Festival explores stories in many different forms.
With more variety than ever, you can enjoy recitals from artists including Benjamin Appl, Helen Charlston, Roderick Williams, Sir John Tomlinson and more; lunchtime, rush-hour and late-night concerts, plus the much-loved Schubert Weekend, extended to a four-day celebration!
Trinity is delighted to once again be a Festival partner, with a range of events hosted in the de Jager Auditorium.
Lorena Paz Nieto (soprano)
To begin this day devoted to Spanish and Latin-American song, soprano Lorena Paz Nieto gives an introduction to the Spanish language, its many variants across regions and continents, and its delights and challenges for singers.
This short, informal event will set ears tingling with Spanish sounds ahead of our first concert.
Julieth Lozano (soprano) and Ricardo Gosalbo (piano)
Pianist and researcher Ricardo Gosalbo is a champion of Spanish and Hispano-American song and a director of the Hispanic Music Series. He introduces some of the principal poets of these divergent but connected art song traditions, from the ‘Golden Age’ of Spanish poets in the 16 th and 17 th centuries, through Romanticism and into the 20 th century. Joined by the Colombian soprano Julieth Lozano, Ricardo references the poetry of Cervantes, Bécquer, Neruda and others, and their settings by composers including Obradors, Turina and Revueltas.
Tue 14 Oct 2025 / 11am
Tickets £8
Levine Building Café
Tue 14 Oct 2025 / 3pm
Tickets £15 (Under 35s £10) de Jager Auditorium
Victor Villeno (bandoneon)
‘An emotional universe unto itself: a master of the instrument’ is how The New York Times described the Argentinian bandoneon virtuoso Victor Villena, who has performed all over the world and recorded multiple prize-winning albums.
He introduces this special instrument, described as ‘the soul of tango’, as part of an electrifying set of tango music, also joined for selected songs by singers who have performed earlier in the day.
Festival Artistic Director, Sholto Kynoch, gives a warm welcome to the second week of the Festival, pointing out the themes and highlights to look forward to.
Refreshments will be available to purchase from the café in the Levine Building.
George Robarts (baritone) and Thomas Eeckhout (piano)
Folksongs arguably represent the original storytelling in song, and they form the basis of this recital from baritone George Robarts and pianist Thomas Eeckhout. They include a mixture of songs and shanties from England, Scotland and Ireland, with arrangements by the ever-inventive Percy Grainger, as well as Britten, Purcell, Gurney, Ravel and Vaughan Williams.
Tue 14 Oct 2025 / 9.45pm
Tickets £18 & £15 (Under 35s £10) de Jager Auditorium
Fri 17 Oct 2025 / 11.15am
Tickets FREE Levine Building Café
Fri 17 Oct 2025 / 5.15pm
Tickets £14 (Under 35s £10) de Jager Auditorium
Olivia Vermeulen (mezzo-soprano) and Jan Philip Schulze (piano)
Olivia Vermeulen and Jan Philip Schulze bring us another of their extraordinarily ingenious programmes. Where next after their earthbound Dirty Minds and the black humour of Hello Darkness? The only way is up, and In Heaven transports us to the celestial realm with music from Schubert to Bowie. Few artists are able to move with such ease between genres, and the result is a programme that is both profound and effervescent.
Schubert & Co.
Fri 17 Oct 2025 / 9.45pm
Tickets £18 & £15 (Under 35s £10) de Jager Auditorium
Schubert & Co. bring their trademark, celebratory Schubertiade back to this year’s Festival. As well as some of Schubert’s best-loved solo songs, they include ensembles that were written for sociable occasions that Schubert himself would have attended. These offer insights into the rich depth of Schubert, revealing both a lighter side that is less often heard, and some of the composer’s most deeply personal works.
Schubert & Co. are a flexible ensemble of eight renowned singers who gather around the piano to recreate an atmosphere of informal music-making that was so close to the heart of Schubert and many other composers. Their Festival concerts are always sell-out occasions, and tonight they give two performances of the same programme. The bar in the Levine Building will be open before and after, and you may well find yourself joined there by the musicians.
Sat 18 Oct 2025 / 5pm & 7.30pm (repeat performance)
Tickets £34 & £25 de Jager Auditorium
For full details of the Festival and to book tickets, please visit oxfordsong.org
Ellen Pearson (mezzo-soprano) and Francesca Lauri (piano)
A Sunday morning concert with Haydn, Mozart and Schubert: three of the great Viennese composers who between them bridged the Classical and Romantic eras.
This programme brings out the sparkle in each composer’s eye, exploring their ability to face the world’s troubles with humour and acceptance.
Zoë Conway (Irish fiddle) and John McIntyre (guitar)
Zoë Conway and John McIntyre have been described as ‘simply one of the best folk duos on the planet’ (BBC) and ‘musical magic’ (The Irish Times). They have performed around the world, as well as giving performances for Irish presidents Mary McAleese and Michael D. Higgins!
This husband and wife duo draw the day to a close with a special hour of Irish folk music, exhibiting the range and knowledge of both musicians as well as the versatility of their instruments, and bringing to the stage sympathetic arrangements of traditional Irish music, compositions and songs old and new.
Sun 19 Oct 2025 / 11.30am
Tickets £18 (including tea/coffee) (Under 35s £10) de Jager Auditorium
Thu 23 Oct 2025 / 9.45pm
Tickets £18 & £15 (Under 35s £10) de Jager Auditorium
For full details of the Festival and to book tickets, please visit
Franz Schubert: Piano Trio No. 1 in B flat D898
Piano Trio No. 2 in E flat D929
Three profoundly thoughtful artists who revel in the joy of collaboration unite to perform Schubert’s peerless Piano Trios - expansive, infinitely rich late works. Both scores, completed within a year of the composer’s death, teem with exquisite lyrical themes and enchanting changes of mood.
Sun 7 Dec 2025 / 2.30pm
Tickets £27 / students £7 de Jager Auditorium
To book tickets please
Benjamin Britten: On this Island
Three songs by Ernest Chausson
Three songs by Madeline Dring
Three songs by Franz Schubert
Richard Strauss: Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs)
Experience a glorious afternoon of art song as internationally acclaimed soprano Lucy Crowe joins forces with her musical partner of over twenty years, renowned pianist Anna Tilbrook, for an intimate recital.
Works by Chausson, Dring and Schubert are framed by Benjamin Britten’s first published song cycle (1936) and very late Strauss, his famous Four Last Songs, published 14 years after the Britten but from a very different world.
Sun 25 Jan 2026 / 2.30pm
Tickets £27 / students £7 de Jager Auditorium
To book tickets
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Violin Sonata No.32 in B-flat major
Edward Elgar: Violin Sonata in E minor
Maurice Ravel: Violin Sonata No.2 in G major
Throughout 2026, these artists will be embarking on a major international recital tour to mark James Ehnes’ 50 th birthday. This tour will include performances throughout James’s native Canada, where the duo will perform in every province and territory, as well as venues throughout the UK that hold particular significance for the artists, including this concert at Trinity College, Oxford.
Sun 15 Feb 2026 / 2.30pm
Tickets £27 / students £7 de Jager Auditorium
Joseph Haydn: Sonata in G major No. 52
Franz Schubert: Moments Musicaux
Joseph Haydn: Sonata in C major
François Couperin: Les Moissonneurs
Francis Poulenc: Mouvements Perpétuels
François Couperin: Les Charmes
Francix Poulenc: Improvisation 13
Domenico Scarlatti: Sonata in C minor
Francis Poulenc: Improvisation 15 “Hommage à Edith Piaf”
François Couperin: Les Baricades Mystérieuses
Francis Poulenc: Intermezzo 2
Francis Poulenc: Mélancolie
With a unique combination of integrity and individuality, brilliant linguistic expressiveness, deep musical understanding and a sure artistic instinct, Christian Zacharias has established himself not only as a world-class pianist and conductor, but also as a musical thinker. Numerous acclaimed concerts with the world’s best orchestras and outstanding conductors, as well as multiple honours and recordings, characterise his international career.
Thu 12 Mar 2026 / 7.30pm
Tickets £27 / students £7 de Jager Auditorium
To book tickets please
“Serenade to Music”
Schola Cantorum, the University of Oxford’s Chamber Choir, has built an international reputation through its extensive tours and recordings. Many of its members go on to successful international careers as professional singers and choral conductors. The Choir’s hallmark is presenting some of the most wide-ranging repertoire for chamber choir.
Schola will perform a varied programme of settings of William Shakespeare, including texts from his Sonnets, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Tempest. Featured composers include Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Grayston Ives, Jaakko Mäntyjärvi and Judith Weir. The programme concludes with Vaughan Williams’ ravishing setting of Serenade to Music. Come and Brush Up Your Shakespeare!
Sun 26 Apr 2026 / 2pm
Tickets £27 / students £7 de Jager Auditorium
Robert Schumann: Dichterliebe, Op. 48
Songs by Isaac Albéniz, Carlos Guastavino, Alberto Ginastera and Joaquín Turina
The superb Uruguayan-Spanish tenor Santiago Sanchez studied at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg. In 2023 Santiago was awarded First Prize at the International Mozart Competition and in 2024 the Second Prize at the Wigmore Hall/Bollinger International Song Competition. He was recently chosen as a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist for 2025-2026.
The concert will feature songs of love, longing and loss, pairing Schumann’s greatest song cycle with the rich and vibrant tradition of Latin American song.
Sun 17 May 2026 / 2.30pm
Tickets £27 / students £7 de Jager Auditorium
Celebrate the return of Spring at Trinity with a short series of garden tours and talks to mark the flowering of our redesigned long herbaceous border
An informal walk around Trinity’s famous gardens, focussing on recent developments which have updated the historic gardens and adopted more sustainable practices. Head Gardener Kate Burtonwood and her team will share the restoration of the lawns and impactful 120m border, while touring round the college’s open spaces and private gardens.
Add an optional cream tea snack with home baked scones in our café! Please check times carefully when booking as the cream tea will take place before the advertised tour start time.
Tue 28 Apr 2026
Tue 7 Jul 2026
Tue 8 Sep 2026
Tue 15 Sep 2026
All at 2.45pm with optional cream tea at 2pm
Tickets £10 tour / £18.50 tour plus cream tea
An acclaimed plantsman, author and owner of Northwind Perennial Farm in Wisconsin, Roy Diblik advocates a thoughtful way of designing perennial plantings using fresh contemporary styles and plant diversity integrated with responsible stewardship concerns. His naturalistic planting designs feature native plants, hearty perennials, and grasses that work well together.
He will discuss the developing partnership between the gardener, the plants and nature, always knowing the beauty is in the doing.
Organic gardening and homesteading expert
Stephanie Hafferty is an expert edible gardener, homesteader, garden designer, consultant, speaker and award winning garden and food writer.
A leading voice in sustainable gardening, she specialises in growing food year-round, affordably using eco-friendly methods. She is known for her practical, enthusiastic and down to earth approach, and this talk will provide practical ideas for creating a productive garden using natural methods, without harming creatures.
Taking on a new garden or tackling an old one can feel daunting; this talk by horticulturalist, author and Gardeners World presenter Nick Bailey will be packed with achievable practical ideas for breathing life back into tired gardens.
From identifying plants and weeds through to soil improvement, hard landscape renovation, redesign and establishment, there will be plenty of practical take-home advice. With 30 years of garden revivals under his belt, Nick shares all the tips, techniques and processes required to bring a garden back to life.
Tue 17 Mar 2026 / 5.30pm
Tickets £10 / £5 students de Jager Auditorium
Tue 26 May 2026 / 5.30pm
Tickets £10 / £5 students de Jager Auditorium
Tue 9 Jun 2026 / 5.30pm
Tickets £10 / £5 students de Jager Auditorium
Come and enjoy the grounds of Trinity College at your leisure: enjoy a peaceful and tranquil historical setting in a city centre location. Our grounds are open for public visits on Saturday and Sunday, subject to availability; group visits are also admitted with advance booking via our Porter’s Lodge.
Experience a delicious Trinity Cream Tea during the College vacation period in the welcoming surroundings of the Levine Café.
Enjoy scones that are freshly baked by Trinity’s talented chefs, accompanied by Cornish clotted cream, strawberry preserve and freshly brewed tea.
Available for group bookings with a minimum of 10 people. To make a group booking please contact conference@trinity.ox.ac.uk
Experience a true fine dining experience with excellent food from Trinity’s renowned Head Chef who is constantly creating new and exciting dishes.
Following its refurbishment, the historic Dining Hall is now available for group bookings. From self-service meals to formal celebrations, we welcome group bookings (only) which can be made by conference@trinity.ox.ac.uk
The Levine Building at Trinity can accommodate conference space for up to 155 delegates in the auditorium, which is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities including adjustable stage and acoustic configurations, plus built-in projection options. Our fully accessible Garden Room can be adapted to the specific requirements of your event for up to 100 guests, with floor to ceiling windows giving views across the college grounds.
We also have several smaller fully equipped meeting rooms of varying sizes which can be set to suit your requirement, for stand-alone meetings or to offer breakout space for our larger meeting spacess.
A wide range of catering options are also available which can be tailored to your event.
Enjoy exclusive use of Trinity College for your special day. From planning the service in the historic Chapel to choosing menus for fine dining in the refurbished Dining Hall, our team is here to assist every step of the way. Overnight accommodation is available at certain times of the year for your wedding party. Make your special day one to remember in the beautiful grounds of Trinity College.
With its stunning architecture and grounds – some dating back to the 14 th century –Trinity College could be the perfect backdrop for your production. Our site has hosted ITV’s Inspector Morse among other broadcasts, and we would be happy to discuss any bespoke plans with you.
Why not make the most of your time at Trinity College and stay with us? With its city centre location, Trinity is the perfect spot for you to enjoy a short break in the historic city of Oxford. There is a varied range of accommodation options available, ranging from contemporary rooms in the Levine Building to the more traditional parts of the College. Bed and Breakfast options are available.
For further information or to book please contact our Conference & Events Manager at
Tickets for all Trinity Talks and Recitals are available through Tickets Oxford.
Online ticketsoxford.com
Phone 01865 305305
In person from the Box Office at Oxford Playhouse, Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2LW
On the door on the day of the event at Trinity College, Levine Building.
Please note that tickets for Oxford International Song Festival can only be booked through oxfordsong.org
Trinity College, Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BH.
Trinity College is located in the heart of Oxford city centre, with the entrance for Events via Trinity College Porter’s Lodge on Broad Street. The Levine Building and de Jager Auditorium are just a short walk from the entrance.
Trinity College is approximately a 10-15 minute direct walk from both the train and bus stations. If travelling by bike, bicycle racks are available nearby on Broad Street. Car parking in Oxford is limited and we encourage the use of public transport and Park & Rides to travel into the city centre.
The Café in the Levine Building is fully accessible and offers a range of light refreshments to enjoy during your visit.
We welcome disabled visitors. Please advise the Box Office at time of booking if you have any access requirements. Free companion seats are available for wheelchair users and disabled visitors.
The entrance and route through Trinity College from the Broad Street entrance is level and can be easily accessed by wheelchair users. The Levine Building which houses the de Jager Auditorium, Café and Garden Room is fully accessible with disabled toilets available.
There is also level access to Trinity Chapel across a cobbled courtyard.
All details of the programme are correct at time of going to print. We reserve the right to make alterations to the programme, performers, times and prices. All concessions are subject to availability.
2025
October
Tue 14 - Thu 23 Oxford International Song Festival de Jager Auditorium See p8-11 at Trinity
November
Thu 11 Talk – David Spiegelhalter de Jager Auditorium 5.30pm
Tue 18 Talk – Gus Casely-Hayford / de Jager Auditorium 5.30pm Laura van Browkhoven
December
Sun 7 Recital – Henning Kraggerud / de Jager Auditorium 2.30pm Adrian Brendel / Imogen Cooper
2026
January
Tue 20 Talk – Shabana Basij-Rasikh de Jager Auditorium 5.30pm
Sun 25 Recital – Lucy Crowe/ Anna Tilbrook de Jager Auditorium 2.30pm
Tue 27 Talk – Melanie Dawes de Jager Auditorium 5.30pm
February
Tue 10 Talk – Lawrence Freedman de Jager Auditorium 5.30pm
Sun 15 Recital – James Ehnes / de Jager Auditorium 2.30pm Andrew Armstrong
March
Tue 3 Talk – Simon Case / Hannah White de Jager Auditorium 5.30pm
Thu 12 Recital – Christian Zacharias de Jager Auditorium 7.30pm
Tue 17 Horticultural Talk – Roy Diblik de Jager Auditorium 5.30pm
April
Thu 1 Gardens in Bloom tours Meet at Levine Building 2.45pm
Sun 26 Recital – Schola Cantorum of Oxford de Jager Auditorium 2pm
Tue 28 Talk – The State of the Union de Jager Auditorium 5.30pm
May
Tue 12 Talk – Michael Beloff de Jager Auditorium 5.30pm
Sun 17 Recital – Santiago Sanchez/ de Jager Auditorium 2.30pm Christopher Glynn
Tue 19 Talk – Danny Dorling de Jager Auditorium 5.30pm
Tue 26 Horticultural Talk – Stephanie Hafferty de Jager Auditorium 5.30pm
June
Tue 9 Horticultural Talk – Nick Bailey de Jager Auditorium 5.30pm
July
Thu 7 Gardens in Bloom tours Meet at Levine Building 2.45pm
September
Tue 8 Gardens in Bloom tours Meet at Levine Building 2.45pm
Tue 15 Gardens in Bloom tours Meet at Levine Building 2.45pm