Recital & Conference With Gianmario Strappati

Gianmario Strappati brings a recital-conference to St Cecilia's Hall on Saturday 17 October, starting at 19:30. The evening is built around great Italian music and the virtuosic style of the tuba, and it's not a standard concert — Strappati alternates live performance with commentary, so you'll hear the music and get the story behind it as you go.

The venue is part of the University of Edinburgh's music collection at 50 Niddry Street. St Cecilia's Hall dates back to 1763 and is the oldest purpose-built concert hall in Scotland, and it still keeps its original features and acoustics. It's described as the only place in the world where you can hear 18th-century music in an 18th-century hall played on 18th-century instruments. Beyond the concert room, the building houses museum galleries, a conservation studio, and talks on music history.

Strappati's evening is organised in collaboration with the Italian Institute of Culture and the General Italian Consulate in Edinburgh, and the format — live playing mixed with engaging commentary — means it works as much as a talk as it does a recital. It's free to attend, with the performance starting at 19:30 on Saturday 17 October at St Cecilia's Hall: Concert Room & Music Museum, 50 Niddry Street, EH1 1LG.