Perth Festival of Arts off to classy opening

Nicola Benedetti gets two-week programme under way at concert hall

Perth Festival of the Arts kicked off in style last night with a concert by Nicola Benedetti in the city’s concert hall.

The opening act of the 46th festival, her performance got the two-week programme off to a classy start.

Another of the world’s great exponents of the violin, Nigel Kennedy, will be performing at the same venue on Sunday.

Over the past two decades the festival has widened its scope and expanded beyond classical music and opera to appeal to a younger and more diverse audience.

One of the big draws for younger festival-goers is Dundee’s The View, who take to the concert hall stage on Saturday.

Comedy is represented by Marcus Brigstocke.

A regular at the Edinburgh Fringe and on television’s Have I Got News for You, he takes his brand of humour to the concert hall on Monday.

The contribution of local schools who perform at lunchtimes in St John’s Kirk is an enduring feature of the festival which continues this year.

Picture: Angus Findlay. Nicola Benedetti on stage at Perth Concert Hall.

Nigel Kennedy is performing at Perth Concert Hall on Sunday.