Nestled within the heart of Edinburgh’s historic Old Town, and forming part of the UNESCO World Heritage site, lies one of the city’s unique treasures, St. Cecilia’s Hall and its Museum of Musical Instruments, part of the University of Edinburgh.
Originally opened in 1763 and named after the patron saint of music, St. Cecilia’s Hall is the oldest purpose-built concert hall in Scotland, and the second oldest in the British Isles.
At the heart of this Georgian building is its concert room, surrounded by three galleries which house one of the worlds most important collections of historic musical instruments, many of which are still playable in a concert setting. Yet time, architectural intervention and urban development have hidden away this exceptional Georgian treasure and the rare collections it contains.
In redeveloping the building, the University’s vision was to restore and renovate St Cecilias Hall and its facilities in order to preserve the Collection and broaden its appeal to a wider public.After a two year redevelopment programme, the refurbished Hall and museum re-opened to the public in June 2017.