In just three days of white-hot creativity in 1960, Dmitri Shostakovich composed what would become his most powerful and most widely admired chamber work. His String Quartet No 8 is one of his most personal, unflinchingly honest pieces.

In music ranging from bleak despair to savage humour to whirling energy, it’s an unforgettable, profoundly cathartic experience, given a special video performance by a quartet of the SCO’s outstanding string players.

This concert is part of the Digital Season 22/23

Four composers; four singular visions of music; one fantastic venue.

Discover – or rediscover – fresh sounds and new musical voices across four specially-conceived music videos filmed in Edinburgh’s iconic Leith Theatre. Join us across the year as each work is premiered online, showcasing the SCO’s exceptional musicians in both intimate and larger scale gatherings.

All four films are available to watch online (SCO website, YouTube and Facebook channels) for free for one month after broadcast date.