Maki Sekiya, St Anne’s Camerata chamber orchestra deliver a memorable evening
The Common Room in the Radcliffe Observatory was filled to capacity on Friday 31 May for a concert featuring pianist Maki Sekiya, Green Templeton College’s Musician-in-Residence, together with St Anne’s Camerata chamber orchestra, conducted by Dr John Traill.
The first half of a highly adventurous programme was devoted to solo works by Beethoven (his Opus 109 sonata) and Liszt’s Campanella, after which came Mozart’s piano concerto no.14.
Green Templeton’s Musician-in-Residence Maki Sekiya performed an adventurous programme in the Observatory Common Room on Friday 31 May (Credit: Pedro Stoeckli)
Maki made light of this varied and challenging repertoire, holding her audience in thrall with the clarity and dynamic range of her interpretations. The concerto was a beautifully balanced dialogue between soloist and the Camerata.
The audience spent the interval climbing the next flight of the Radcliffe Observatory’s long curving staircase for a second half in the wonderful acoustics of its second floor Tower of the Winds.
The second half of the concert took place in the Tower of the Winds (Credit: Pedro Stoeckli)
Here, the Camerata played Spring, a gentle piece composed by Martyn Harry of St Anne’s College, and then Metamorphosen by Richard Strauss. This major work of 1945 portrayed the torture of the war years and drew an emotionally charged performance from the young players of St Anne’s.
The discovery of the Observatory’s second floor as a superb venue for music-making will undoubtedly ensure that more concerts will take place there in the future.
The partnership of Maki Sekiya with John Traill and the Camerata made for a truly memorable evening.
The partnership of Maki with John Traill and the Camerata made for a truly memorable evening (Credit: Pedro Stoeckli)
Earlier this summer, we were delighted to welcome audiences to our inaugural Garden Play, with a series of sold-out performances of Shakespeare`s `As You Like It` set in our beautiful college grounds.
Our gardens became the Forest of Arden as students, staff, alumni and the wider Oxford community came together to enjoy open-air theatre in a truly unique setting. Even better, the production has received fantastic reviews from Oxford`s student press.
A huge thank you to everyone who performed in and supported this wonderful initiative.
These peaceful moments around college were captured by work experience student Izzie.
They celebrate the beauty of the college gardens and the simple joy of taking a closer look!
Thank you Izzie for sharing your perspective with us 🌸
Many congratulations to this year`s Nautilus Award winners! 🎉
These annual awards celebrate the exceptional contributions our students make to the Green Templeton College community.
Read all about the winners in our bio! ✨
As conservation work continues on the Radcliffe Observatory, we were delighted to climb to the very top of the impressive scaffold and enjoy a unique perspective on this iconic landmark.
Along the way, we uncovered some fascinating details—and a few cheeky surprises—carved into parts of the stonework. ✨
These hidden marks offer a glimpse into the stories, craftsmanship, and personalities that have become part of the building’s rich history. Stay tuned as we continue to share more behind-the-scenes moments from this remarkable conservation project.
Congratulations to all of the @gtcball2026 survivors 🪼🫧🪸🧜🌊✨
