Wolfson College Oxford

Felix Appelbe is a member of the Members’ Common Room at Wolfson College, Oxford, an institution founded on the belief that academic excellence should ultimately serve society.

At Wolfson he created and hosted a series of lectures exploring the hidden effects of sound and music. The events brought together leading thinkers from different disciplines, reflecting Felix’s interest in the connections between music, science, philosophy and creativity.

Speakers in the series included the internationally renowned pianist Dame Imogen Cooper, pianist and composer Sir Stephen Hough, composer Matthew Sheeran, and mathematician, philosopher and violin maker Robert Brewer Young.

The lectures were organised with the support of Dr Kate Kennedy at the Oxford Centre for Life Writing.

The Beyond Words series explored how music can communicate experiences that are difficult to express through language alone. By bringing together musicians, scientists and thinkers, the events examined how sound influences emotion, memory and human connection.

For Felix, the idea was simple: when different disciplines meet, unexpected ideas often emerge. By placing music alongside mathematics, philosophy and storytelling, the conversations opened new ways of understanding how creativity and human experience intersect.

Wolfson continues to provide an environment where conversations like these can begin. For Felix, it represents a place where ideas from different fields can meet and develop — often leading to collaborations and projects that extend far beyond the original discussion.