By Dr Olga Roh

What does it mean to revive the idea of Renaissance today? How can its principles — curiosity, creativity, courage — resonate in the 21st century?

Earlier this February, London was briefly caught in the quiet stirrings of a Renaissance.

Batyr Aynabekov — historian, storyteller, and classically trained provocateur, educated at Moscow State University and now resident in the UK — delivered a lecture tracing the arc of the Renaissance as a revival of human thought, reminding us that the word “Renaissance” itself is a label applied centuries later. What mattered then — and what matters now — was curiosity, daring, and the refusal to accept limits.

Following history with sound, Teodor Doré — modern pianist, composer, and thinker — led a musical excursion through the world of 12th–15th century music. His exploration was part history, part meditation: a bridge between old practices and contemporary reflection. Doré’s work is aligned with what is tentatively called Renaissance‑21, a developing movement that seeks to interpret the spirit of rebirth in our time, though its full shape is still emerging. On 13 March, he will return with a programme including Rachmaninoff, his own compositions, and further explorations of this human-centered musical vision, joined by other musicians.

Historian and lecturer Batyr Aynabekov

The evening hinted at something larger. Connections between past and present were drawn in music and in thought. As Boccaccio’s storytellers discovered in plague‑struck Florence, sometimes the best way to survive is to tell stories — clever, mischievous, or even scandalous enough to keep each other awake. In an age of endless rules and ideological choreography, wit and imagination remain as essential as air.

The full story will unfold soon. Stay tuned for 13 March, when London will host a gathering of minds, musicians, and visionaries, where history, music, and ideas might meet in unexpected ways.

The question remains: are we still capable of a true rebirth — not of machines, but of thought? Expect the revival of minds. Conversations may spark, performances may astonish, and connections between past and present may appear in ways no one can predict.

Renaissance XXI: London Awaits a 21st-Century Rebirth

What Was the Renaissance — and Why the Word Came Later

The word Renaissance feels timeless, as if it had always existed. We all throw around the word Renaissance as if it were stamped on the fifteenth century like a currency. But the people living during that time never used the term. They painted, wrote, debated, and invented without ever claiming they were experiencing a “rebirth” — Renaissance — was created much later, in the 19th century, by historians such as Jules Michelet and Jacob Burckhardt, who looked back and labeled the extraordinary cultural revival spanning the 14th to 16th centuries as the Renaissance. They tried to make sense of what seemed like an explosion of creativity after centuries of turmoil. Burckhardt famously described it as the moment when “the modern world” was born, a bold claim that shaped our understanding of history ever since. He called it “the birthplace” of the modern world. What he really described was something less tidy: a period when thinkers rediscovered ancient texts, artists reinvented perspective, printers suddenly multiplied books across continents, and curiosity became a technique rather than a luxury. What was this revival like? A collision of forces: the aftermath of plague and political upheaval, the flight of Greek scholars westward after the fall of Constantinople, the proliferation of books following Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of movable-type printing, and a sudden, confident assertion of human potential. Artists dissected, measured, and imagined. Philosophers debated. The human mind was once again the central stage.

And yet, those living through it would have called it only their present — chaotic, dangerous, exhilarating, unfinished. The term Renaissance was a retrospective judgment, not a self-definition.

In the words of Leonardo da Vinci, one of the era’s true originals: “Learning never exhausts the mind.”

That insistence on curiosity as a way of life — not merely a hobby — is precisely what the new movement in question seeks to explore today. Renaissance‑21 is not about returning to old forms; it is a revival of thought, imagination, and cultural depth in an age that too often prizes speed over substance. This historical nuance matters: if the Renaissance was never a label but a process of revival, then the pressing question for our time is whether a 21st-century rebirth of thought, creativity, and culture is possible in a world dominated by digital acceleration, algorithms, and ephemeral trends.

A Gathering of Minds, Music, and Ideas

On 13 March, the historic National Liberal Club — a space founded in 1882 to host reformers, writers, and thinkers who believed discussion could shape history — will welcome a new chapter of this experiment. This is Renaissance XXI, an evening that aims to explore how creativity, intellect, and human-centered art might reclaim cultural centrality.

At the center of the program is Teodor Doré, classically trained pianist, composer, and thinker. Earlier this year, Doré led audiences on a musical excursion through 12th–15th century repertoire, bridging historical practice and contemporary reflection. He returns on 13 March with a program including Rachmaninoff, his own compositions, and further explorations inspired by Renaissance‑21 principles. Other musicians will join him, each contributing to a living dialogue between the past and present.

Pianist and composer Teodor Doré

High-Profile Participants

The evening will gather a remarkable constellation of figures whose presence alone signals curiosity, ambition, and influence:

• Michael Binyon MBE – Leading writer for The Times
• Alisa Lisovskaia – Art curator
• Iain Bell – Composer
• Nimrod Borenstein – Composer
• Teodor Doré – Pianist, composer, and Founder of Renaissance-21
• Cris Damian Gonzalez-Lahman – International analyst, artist, curator, and author
• Olsi Qinami – Conductor; Head of the London City Philharmonic Orchestra and Albanian National Radio
• Symphony Orchestra
• Alessandra Broi – Philanthropist, patron, lawyer, and founder of Niccolò’s Light
• Benjamin Cunnigham – Philanthropy Manager, Head of Advocacy and Engagement, Royal Ballet and Opera
• Johnny Smith – Screenwriter, author, and academic
• The event will be moderated by Dr. Richard Saldanha – Quantitative finance and machine learning expert;
• Teaching Fellow at Queen Mary University of London and Aza Benyatov – Journalist, producer, and Founder of Art Asset Class™️

This is not a conventional recital or lecture. Ideas will circulate. Debate may spark. Collaborations may arise unpredictably. For a few hours, the room itself becomes a laboratory for imagination and ambition.

Renaissance‑21: A Movement in the Making

Renaissance‑21 is not nostalgia in fancy dress. It is a deliberate, human-centered cultural initiative, emphasizing depth, craft, and ethical engagement across music, art, and thought. Doré and his collaborators aim to show that cultural revival is not passive; it requires active engagement, reflection, and courage.

The evening will pose urgent questions: How can creativity assert itself in a world dominated by speed and distraction? How can art, music, and philosophy reconnect with human values without slipping into nostalgia or mere performance? And can a modern renaissance be practical, participatory, and alive, rather than a historical abstraction?

Anticipation and Possibility

The details of the night are intentionally fluid. The program hints at structure — music, discussion, and performance — but the real excitement lies in what may emerge from the convergence of intellect, artistry, and ambition.

Spring has arrived. Subtlety has fled. The question remains: can thought, imagination, and human creativity reclaim their place at the center of culture?

On 13 March, the National Liberal Club will open its doors. For one evening, a revival may be glimpsed — a reminder that, centuries later, the process of Renaissance is not just a story, but a possibility.

Well, let’s expect the unexpected and leave certainty at the door. Will we witness an experiment in what it might mean to revive the Renaissance today?

May that rebirth be louder, stranger, and more dazzling than we suggest? Renaissance in our very own century – if you think you know, think again.