News

Bate Collection receives Accreditation Status

The Bate Collection has been awarded Full Accreditation status by the Arts Council of England
> Read more

Bate Recording Prize

Announcing the result of the Bate recording prize for 2013
> Read more

Musical Instrument Conference - Oxford - 2013

A 5-day conference, hosted by the Bate Collection, in association with The Galpin Society and "Making the Tudor Viol"
> Read more

Gallery Recitals

Musical recitals highlighting aspects of the Bate Collection
> Read more

Welcome to the bate collection

Welcome to the Bate Collection, one of the most magnificent collections of musical instruments in the world. The Bate has over 2000 instruments from the Western orchestral music traditions from the renaissance, through the baroque, classical, romantic and up to modern times. More than a thousand instruments are on display, by all the most important makers and from pre-eminent collectors.

SEE THE INTRODUCTION TO THE COLLECTION ON YOUTUBE

FREE ADMISSION

Opening Hours

Monday - Friday afternoons from 2.00 - 5.00 throughout the year

Saturday morning opening from 10 - 12 noon

Ends for the summer - Starts again on 19th October

27th April, 4th, 11th 18th, 25th May, 1st, 8th and 15th June

A keyed trumpet by David Edwards of Woking. A reproduction of the anonymous key trumpet in the Copenhagen museum. This is the type of trumpet for which Haydn and Hummel wrote their concertos. Bate number 704

Listen to our instruments

We have recorded some of the instruments in the collection. You can hear them here:

Instruments in the Collection

Visit our online store:

We sell a variety of books, CD's and technical diagrams featuring instruments in the collection

Bate Shop

The Bate Collection is supported by the following organizations:

Bate Library

The Bate library includes over 3000 books, periodicals and other publications on the subject of musical instrument development and music technology. It includes the Philip Bate, Anthony Baines and Reginald Morley-Pegge archives plus a developing sound archive of instruments from the collection.

Faculty of Music

The Faculty of Music of Oxford University, one of the largest and liveliest music departments in the country, and an internationally renowned centre of musical teaching and research. The Faculty offers a highly stimulating environment for anyone interested in a practical, scholarly and creative engagement with music.