The Bate Collection

18/05/2026

"Museums are more than spaces of preservation—they are trusted public spaces where people encounter stories, objects, and one another. In times of social fragmentation, polarisation, and unequal access to knowledge and culture, museums help rebuild connections across generations, communities, and borders.

Rather than erasing differences, museums create the conditions in which they can be understood and respected. By safeguarding heritage and memory, offering opportunities for learning and reflection, and providing welcoming spaces for diverse voices, museums foster dialogue, inclusion, and peace." -International Council of Museums

24/04/2026

23/04/2026

We can’t wait to welcome you to our opening day on the 25th April 2026! Be among the first to experience our new permanent exhibition, ‘Resonant Histories’, curated by

https://www.bate.ox.ac.uk/event/bate-collection-opening

11:15 – 11:30
Welcome to the Inaugural Exhibition: Resonant Histories
Dr Emanuela Vai (Curator of Permanent Exhibition and Head of the Bate Collection, Head of Research and Senior Fellow, Worcester College, University of Oxford)
Location: Bate Collection of Musical Instruments

11:45 – 12:00
Performance: Historical Keyboards
Maria Razumovskaya (Director of Performance)
Location: Bate Collection of Musical Instruments

12:30 – 13:00
Performance: Historical Horns
Anneke Scott (Internationally leading exponent of historical horn playing)
Location: Bate Collection of Musical Instruments

13:25 – 13:30
Performance: Beale Trumpet
Zack Di Lello (Graduate Student, Music)
Location: Great Hall (1st floor balcony)

13:35 – 14:00
Audio-Visual Performance
Appau Junior Boakye-Yiadom (Artist in Residence, Bate Collection & Museum of Modern Art)
Location: Bate Collection of Musical Instruments

14:00 – 15:00
Object Handling Drop-in Session: Play Some of Our Instruments!
Isabelle Carré (Education and Outreach Officer, Bate Collection)
Location: Bate Collection of Musical Instruments

15:25 – 15:30
Performance: Historical Violin
Samuel Cole (Undergraduate Student, Music)
Location: 1st floor balcony/Great Hall

15:45 – 16:00
Performance: Harmonium
Saad Barcha (Graduate Student, Music)
Location: Bate Collection of Musical Instruments

16:15 – 16:25
Performance: Hurdy-Gurdy
Matthew Spring (Independent Artist)
Location: Great Hall

16:25 – 16:40
Performance: Hurdy-Gurdy
Matthew Spring (Independent Artist)
Location: Bate Collection

17:00 – 17:30
Performance: Theremin
Lydia Kavina (Internationally renowned thereminist)
Location: Bate Collection of Musical Instruments

Special thanks to our wonderful team for their dedication and hard work in making this possible—especially Leander Wells, Isabelle Carré, and our volunteers!

Part of Open House at the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, a free festival day of performances and events open to everyone.

23/04/2026

Welcome to the new !

We can’t wait to welcome you to our opening day on the 25th April 2026! Be among the first to experience our new permanent exhibition, ‘Resonant Histories: Material Culture, Sound and Craft', curated by Emanuela Vai

https://www.bate.ox.ac.uk/event/bate-collection-opening

Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities Faculty of Music, University of Oxford Faculty of History TORCH - The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities University of Oxford European Commission Worcester College, Oxford Ashmolean Museum Pitt Rivers Museum University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum

09/04/2026

We can’t wait to welcome you to our opening day on the 25th April 2026! Be among the first to experience our new permanent exhibition, ‘Resonant Histories’, curated by (Head of Collections and Curator). This new display invites to discover musical instruments not just as objects, but as living connections across time, shaped by craft, culture, and sound.

We’ll be hosting a range of performances and talks throughout the day to celebrate, with more details coming very soon!

https://www.bate.ox.ac.uk/

19/03/2026

A feather is the reason this Instrument makes a sound! Inside this early keyboard instrument, tiny quills which are traditionally made from feathers, pluck the strings when a key is pressed. Unlike a piano, there are no hammers, just this mechanism creating the spinet’s sound.

In the 1970s, leather was sometimes used instead of quill. It was easier to source and more durable, but it changed the sound, making it less crisp and responsive. Over time, that leather has worn down.

As part of this conservation work, those later additions are being carefully removed and replaced with quill, bringing the instrument closer to how it would originally have sounded and back into playing condition.

Our conservator Cesar Hernandez is restoring these details by hand, one tiny component at a time.

We're getting our collection ready to welcome you into our new space on the 25th April 2025!

20/02/2026

We’re getting ready to open the doors to our brand new home!

The Bate Collection of Musical Instruments is moving into a dedicated new gallery at the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, part of the University of Oxford.

In the final months of 2025 and into 2026, it is all hands on deck in the workshop. Every instrument needs its own bespoke mount. They are carefully shaped, conservation-safe, and almost invisible so the instruments were fully supported and ready for display.

With just a few more final touches to add, we’re almost ready to welcome you back in 2026!

A huge congratulations and thank you to the brilliant team who made this happen.

Curator of Permanent Exhibition: Dr Emanuela A. E. Vai
Designer:
Objects Conservation and Mountmaking : ronchka


Senior Technician and Collection Manager: Kevin Jacques
Project Manager:
Education and Outreach: Isabelle Carré
Invigilator and Assistant:

Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities TORCH - The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities Faculty of Music, University of Oxford Ashmolean Museum Worcester College, Oxford University of Oxford

19/02/2026

The Bate Collective directed by Jonathan Williams.

Join us for a varied programme of vocal and instrumental music from the 16th and 17th centuries, and featuring a suite of dances from Tielman Susato's Danseyre (1551), repertoire made popular by the extraordinary work of the Early Music pioneer David Munrow, who died 50 years ago this year.

Performed on historic instruments from the Bate Collection.

Free (retiring collection)
Keble College Chapel
26th February at 1PM

26/01/2026

We’re getting ready at The Bate Collection for our brand new exhibition, curated by Dr. Emanuela A. E. Vai and designed by Byung Kim, in our new home Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities.
A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this possible. Stay tuned for opening dates!

Faculty of Music, University of Oxford
TORCH - The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities Worcester College, Oxford

18/01/2026

HAMMER & BRONZE : NEW MUSIC FOR GAMELAN INSTRUMENTS
A concert showcasing music by composers from Indonesia, Ireland and the UK for chamber gamelan ensemble. The programme interweaves vibraphone, contrabass flute and bassoon with the rich sound of Javanese metallophones and gong chimes.
Featuring works by Aris Daryono, Daniel March, Peter Moran and Rob Campion.
Hammer & Bronze: Rob Campion, Isabelle Carré (contrabass flute), Clara Graham (vibraphone, bassoon), Zack Di Lello, Maya Channing
https://www.st-hildas.ox.ac.uk/events/hammer-bronze
Sunday 18 January 2026
St Hilda’s College Riverside Pavilion
Concert at 6.30 pm; Talk at 4.00 pm

Talk: Composing for Javanese Gamelan Instruments
Rob Campion explores the individual qualities of the instruments within the gamelan and discusses how to create music effectively for them. With live and recorded examples of instrumental techniques and pieces.
Sunday 18 January 2026 4 pm
St Hilda’s College Riverside Pavilion

Image:
Gamelan Stock photos by Vecteezy