Costa Rica Guitar Quartet - Sounds of Latin America

Costa Rica Guitar Quartet are playing St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral on Friday 16 October, bringing the sounds of Latin America to Edinburgh. It's a lunchtime concert, running from 13:00 to 14:00, and it's free and unticketed, so you can just turn up.

The quartet formed in 2008 and has since become one of Costa Rica's leading guitar ensembles. Their whole thing is promoting the music of their home country and the wider region, and they do it through a mix of original works, contemporary repertoire and arrangements written for four guitars. They've toured across Europe, North and South America and the Middle East, including a performance at the Royal Opera House Muscat in Oman, and have released three albums. Since 2023, they've been an Augustine Strings artist ensemble.

This particular concert is built around a single idea: a journey through Latin American musical traditions and landscapes, told entirely through instrumental music. With four guitars sharing the load, it's a full ensemble sound rather than a solo recital, and the programme draws from the region's wider repertoire rather than just one style. It's the kind of thing that works well in a cathedral setting — an hour of instrumental music to step into over your lunch break.

If you're around the West End on the day, it's an easy one to fit in. The concert is at St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral on Palmerston Place, EH12 5AW, from 13:00 to 14:00 on Friday 16 October. It's free and unticketed, so there's no need to book in advance.