What’s On at Auriens This Summer

With so much on offer, now is the perfect time to mark your diaries, extend an invitation to family or friends, and experience everything Auriens has to offer. To reserve your place or learn more about any of the events, please email David Simpson david.simpson@auriens.com or call 07917352411. We look forward to welcoming you.

Recital: Yu- Chieh Lin
WEDNESDAY, 28TH MAY 
17.30 FOR A 18.00 START | DURATION ONE HOUR | THE LIBRARY
This event is complimentary | An à la carte dinner is available after the talk by reservation 

Yu-Chieh Lin, a Taiwanese classical pianist born in 1999, earned a Bachelor of Music from the Royal College of Music, London, in 2021, studying with Norma Fisher and Jane Chapman. He completed a Master’s degree with distinction at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2023, guided by Ronan O’Hora, Noriko Ogawa, and Charles Owen. Currently, he is pursuing an Artist Diploma at Guildhall, supported by The Franby Scholarship, Guildhall School Trust, and The Longbao Co., Ltd (Taiwan). 

Pianist Yu-Chieh Lin will perform compositions by Scriabin and Rachmaninoff. 

Cheese & Wine Tasting with Jeroboams
THURSDAY, 29TH MAY 
17.15 FOR 17.30 START | DURATION 1 HOUR | THE PRIVATE DINING ROOM
This event is complimentary.

Join us to discover Champagne and Sparkling Wines from around the world. 

Venice: Shadows of an Improbable Empire, followed by dinner
WEDNESDAY, 4TH JUNE
17.30 FOR 18.00 START | DURATION ONE HOUR | LIBRARY
£60 for Friends of Auriens members and £45 for residents* 
What’s included: A welcome drink upon arrival and an à la carte dinner with Venetian options in Culfords restaurant 

Once the capital of an empire that ruled the Mediterranean waves, Venice is now the home of fewer than 50,000 people. It is, however, a prized destination for almost six million tourists each year and one of the greatest architectural and cultural curiosities in the world. Few visitors ask, ‘why does Venice exist?’ or any questions about its glorious past. While Amsterdam and St Petersburg glory in their canals, no other city has followed the example of Venice. Why is Venice unique? And how does it continue to thrive against the odds? 

Julian Sturdy-Morton has visited Venice dozens of times since his childhood in the 1950s and seeks to recapture and explore both the magic of La Serenissima and the colossal naval power from which the islands’ wealth and cultural heritage are derived. 

An evening of Chopin & Rachmaninov with Michael Petrov and Rosie Richardson
WEDNESDAY, 11TH JUNE
17.30 FOR 18.00 START | DURATION ONE HOUR | LIBRARY
This recital is complimentary
An à la carte dinner is available after the talk by reservation 

International prize-winning cellist Michael Petrov performs a programme of well-known repertoire with collaborative pianist Rosie Richardson. Michael and Rosie began working together fifteen years ago at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and have given duo recitals at London’s Wigmore Hall and The Purcell Room, as well as in Portugal, Switzerland and Germany. They very much look forward to bringing to Auriens a programme of Romantic works by Chopin and Rachmaninov. 

The programme with include Sonata in G minor Op.65 - Frédéric Chopin plus a collection of short pieces and songs by Rachmaninov.

Tea & Talk with Paul Roberts – History of Ascot
THURSDAY, 12TH JUNE | 16.00 FOR 16.15 START | DURATION ONE HOUR | CULFORDS
This event is complimentary | Booking is essential

Details to follow.

An evening of Flanders & Swann: A tribute by Stefan Bednarczyk
WEDNESDAY, 18TH JUNE 
17.30 FOR 18.00 START | DURATION ONE HOUR AND TWENTY MINUTES, NO INTERMISSION | LIBRARY Pricing: £60 for Friends of Auriens members and £45 for residents* 
What’s included: A welcome drink upon arrival and a three-course dinner in Culfords restaurant 

Originally commissioned from Stefan by the widows of Flanders and Swann, he has performed this show all over the world. Claudia Flanders regarded Bednarczyk as the finest exponent of her husband’s work. “Entirely alone at the piano, Stefan Bednarczyk is the best Flanders and Swann since  Flanders and Swann themselves" (Sheridan Morley INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE) 

"A one-man-show that demands the widest possible audience" (Clive Davis THE TIMES) 

"Bednarczyk's detailed characterisations and careful comic timing bring the songs to life beautifully - and there are even moments of such tender, fragile pathos that you want to leave them hanging in the air forever " (Warwick Thompson METRO) 

Cheese & Wine Tasting with Jeroboams
THURSDAY, 19TH JUNE 
17.15 FOR 17.30 START | DURATION 1 HOUR | THE PRIVATE DINING ROOM
This event is complimentary.

Join us to embark on a journey through the wines of Burgundy.

Kestrel Music presents Nigel Hess’s The Food of Love
WEDNESDAY, 9TH JULY
17.30 FOR 18.00 START | DURATION ONE HOUR AND FORTY MINUTES INCLUDING AN INTERMISSION | LIBRARY Pricing: £80 for Friends of Auriens members and £60 for residents* 
What’s included: A welcome drink upon arrival, a drink at intermission and a three-course dinner in Culfords restaurant 

A glittering evening of Shakespearean music, verse and anecdote with Nigel Hess and friends. An uplifting and heart-warming evening celebrating musical settings of Shakespearean texts and the Bard's writings about music, together with backstage stories of the perils of performance down the years. Devised and performed by composer and pianist Nigel Hess with West End actors and vocalists. 

Tea & Talk with Martin Bishop
THURSDAY, 10TH JULY | 16.00 FOR 16.15 START | DURATION ONE HOUR | CULFORDS
This event is complimentary | Booking is essential

Details to follow.

Al Fresco Dining Season Launch
WEDNESDAY, 23RD JULY
18.30 FOR 19.00 START | DURATION ONE HOUR | THE GARDEN
Pricing: £80 for Friends of Auriens members and £60 for residents and includes a tasting menu paired with wine.

Back by popular demand, Davina Clarke returns to Auriens to launch our Alfresco Dining Season with an evening of sublime music, exquisite food, and perfectly paired wines from Jeroboams. 

One of the most sought-after violinists of her generation, Davina performs worldwide with leading period ensembles, including The English Baroque Soloists, The English Concert, and The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Her career has taken her to prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, La Scala, The Royal Opera House, and the BBC Proms, and she has recently released her second solo album, The Art of Obligato. 

Set against the backdrop of our beautiful outdoor setting, the evening will feature a thoughtfully curated set menu, each course expertly paired with fine wines from Jeroboams.

Tea & Talk: Women Travellers in an Antique Land By Dr Nicholas Courtney
THURSDAY, 24TH JULY | 16.00 FOR 16.15 START | DURATION ONE HOUR | CULFORDS
This event is complimentary | Booking is essential

Early exploration was hard enough for those bitten by the wanderlust; but when those travellers were women, their journeys were even more remarkable. Women Travellers in an Antique Land looks at eight of these heroic women between the 17th and early 20th centuries as they followed the traditional British love of the desert of the Near East. 

Each of these women had her own special reason for travel, which make their stories so interesting. Nicholas' great grandmother, Lady Leigh-Pemberton sailed up the Nile in 1875 (a decade before the siege of Khartoum), painting exquisite watercolours all the way; Margaret Fountaine went to collect butterflies in Syria (and brought back her dragoman!); Lady Anne Blunt was responsible for introducing the Arab horse to England, while Lady Brassey sailed in her husband’s yacht on an extended geography lesson for her children. Lady Mary Wortley-Montagu accompanied her husband when Ambassador to Turkey and returned with a small-pox serum, while Lady Hester Stanhope justified her title of Queen of the Desert in what was very much a man’s world. 

The last two, Gertrude Bell and Freya Stark are even more incredible who not only travelled great distances to unknown places, wrote of their journeys, but contributed to the political scene in the First and Second WW respectively. 

Cheese & Wine Tasting with Jeroboams
THURSDAY, 31ST JULY
17.15 FOR 17.30 START | DURATION 1 HOUR | THE PRIVATE DINING ROOM
This event is complimentary.

Join us to indulge in the taste of Italy’s finest wines. 

Al Fresco Dining 
WEDNESDAY, 6TH AUGUST
18.30 FOR 19.00 START | DURATION ONE HOUR | THE GARDEN

Details to follow.

Friends and family are very welcome although places are limited and reservations are required. To R.S.V.P. please email David Simpson david.simpson@auriens.com or call 07917352411.

*We cannot guarantee a place at any of our events without reservation. For dietary requirements, special requests or large parties, please let us know when booking. We understand that plans can change. If you need to cancel or modify your reservation, please do so at least 24 hours in advance. Cancellations made within 24 hours of your reservation may incur a cancellation fee.