Leaving a gift in your Will, which is also known as legacy giving, plays a vital role in the continued success of the College; legacy gifts are one of the most powerful and thoughtful ways in which alumni, friends and supporters can be part of the College’s future.
This annual lunch and day programme is held to thank and recognise the College's Legators - those who have included King’s College in their Will.
Programme
We are delighted for guests to join the Provost for an update on the College. After a fabulous lunch, some of our graduate students will share their research with you. This includes talks from Katie Collins (KC 2022) on “The Study and Design of Intelligible Human-Centric AI Thought Partnerships" and Chris Tagnon (KC 2024) on “Motorsport Innovation and Technology Transfer”. The day will close after light refreshments and a musical performance by Spencer Boya (KC 2023). However, if you would like to extend your day, Evensong in Chapel will commence at 5.30pm, with entrance from 5.15pm.
You can view the full programme here.
This year's speakers:
Katie Collins (KC 2022)
Katie Collins is a final-year PhD student at King's studying human-AI interaction and computational cognitive science in the Dept of Engineering. She is also a Student Fellow at the Leverhulme Centre for Future Intelligence. Following a BSc in Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT, Katie completed an MPhil in Machine Learning and Machine Intelligence at Cambridge under a Marshall Scholarship (one of fifty American scholars selected each year to study at the graduate level in the UK).
Chris Tagnon (KC 2024)
Chris is a First-Class engineer, currently pursuing his MPhil at King’s College, Cambridge. He has a diverse background in research, consulting, and entrepreneurship in various sectors, notably energy, battery technology and quantum computing. Having expressed a strong passion for motorsports since childhood, Chris has also gained experience within Red Bull Racing’s Advanced Technologies arm as a vehicle dynamics and performance engineer. He aims to bridge the gap between motorsports and the wider innovation sector by applying specialised engineering expertise to venture development in sectors such as aerospace, energy, or the future of mobility. Chris is a two-time Royal Academy of Engineering scholar, most recently awarded through Sir Lewis Hamilton’s foundation, Mission 44.
Our musicians
Spencer Lee Boya (KC 2023)
Spencer Lee Boya, FRSA, is a multi-disciplinary artist and the Chief Executive Officer of Boxing is Love (no. 1200384), a BOXRAW Foundation that aims to fight structural inequalities through Boxing, Research, and Artistic Expression.
Previously, he co-founded ‘The Social Canvas Projects’, a series of 3 projects that took place from December 2023 - April 2024 to address the violent conflicts around the globe at the time through the lens of the Creative Arts. Throughout the three projects, he engaged more than 100 students from all artistic disciplines and organised 3 events that attracted 1000+ visitors, including figures like Ai Weiwei, and Gabriel Prokofiev who worked with him on a voluntary basis in support of the project’s mission.
He also co-founded the 2nd edition of the Indie-clips short film festival where he welcomed more than 54+ submissions from 16 countries featuring high-profile judges such as BAFTA-winning producer Jordi Morera, D&AD pencils winner Neil Pymer etc.
As a composer, Spencer’s works for film and TV have been screened at Academy and BAFTA awards-qualifying film festivals in Tokyo, Belgium, Dublin, Berlin, Los Angeles and more. Previously, as commissioned by the Fitzwilliam Museum, he worked with poet Mary Jean Chan on a piece of found poem set to music, performed at the museum. His concert piece for string orchestra, ‘An Ephemeral Bagatelle’, was played at the Royal Academy of Music, and his Original Music ‘Gabrielle’ played 3 sold-out concerts at Greenwood and George Wood Theatre in London and was named ‘an iconic performance’ by the China Daily and Shenzhen Daily. He was also the musical director of the original musical ‘Beyond Today’, where he played 4 concerts in the ADC theatre. As a pianist, he played at the Danube Palace as a finalist of the International Liszt Ferenc Competition and performs regularly around Cambridge.
At King's College, Spencer was awarded the Derek Cornwell Scholarship (2025) for excellence in music performance, the ESG scholarship (2023-2025)(two places per annum) and the Susan Tomes Music Prize 2024. He also served as the 128th President (24-25) of the Cambridge University Amateur Boxing Club, the President of King's College Graduate Society (23-24), and Co-President of King's College Music Society (24-25), where he regularly conducts the King's College Orchestra. Spencer studied the piano with Professor Andrew Zolinsky (RCM), Composition with Dr. Raymond You, and briefly conducting with Dominic Grier (RAM).
Shelly Lee
Shelly is a clarinettist and composer. She attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama's BMus course (2020-2022), where she focused on clarinet performance as her first study and composition as her second. During her time there, she studied clarinet with Andrew Webster, bass clarinet with Robert Ault, and composition with Steve Potter. She also participated in coaching sessions and masterclasses with Joy Farrall, Michael Collins, Benjamin Mellefant, Ausias Garrigos Morant.
In 2024, Shelly transferred to Goldsmiths, University of London, to pursue a more well-rounded music education. There, she continued her clarinet studies with Heather Roche and Pete Furniss. Prior to her time in London, she studied with clarinettist Linus Fung in Hong Kong.
Shelly's clarinet journey began in her early years with the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of Hong Kong (MYOHK). In 2018, she was invited by the Hong Kong Tourism Board to perform in London. She performed as the principal clarinettist, playing Mahler's Symphony No. 1 and Shostakovich's Golden Age Suite at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in 2019.
Her compositions have been played at venues such as the Royal Academy of Music (Susie Sainsbury Theatre), King's College London (Greenwood Theatre), Deptford Town Hall, George Wood Theatre, and Keynes Hall at Kings College Cambridge.
Aside from clarinet and composing, she also plays cello and piano to an intermediate level.
We are delighted that Spencer and Shelly will perform:
Solo Piano - Eight Memories in Water Colour Op.1, Tan Dun, 1978
Clarinet and Piano - Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano, Joseph Horovitz, 1981
Registration
This event is free to attend for Members of the King's College Legacy Circle - our Legators. Each Legator may attend with a guest, at a cost of £40. This is a subsidised price and includes the three-course lunch with wine, or non-alcoholic alternative.
There are three ways to confirm your attendance:
Online via Ticket Tailor
Calling on +44(0)1223 331481 or +44(0)1223 331443
Returning the response form by post
Decline responses can also be taken by email: events@kings.cam.ac.uk
Please ensure that your response arrives with us by no later than Friday, 2 May 2025.
Legacy Giving
Whether you are an existing College Legator or someone who is thinking about leaving a gift in their Will to King's College Cambridge, we would be delighted to hear from you. Your intentions matter and we encourage you to talk to us about them. By confirming your plans, it lets the College know what's important to you and where you would like your gift allocated when the time (eventually) comes.
Tel: +44 (0)1223 331481
Email: legacies@kings.cam.ac.uk
Of course, King's would like to recognise you appropriately for your most meaningful gift. However, this is your choice and if you prefer to stay anonymous, we respect that.
King's College Cambridge recommends that all individuals seek independent, qualified advice before making a charitable bequest.
