Nicola Benedetti has disclosed that “heartbreaking” cuts are being made to subsequent yr’s Edinburgh Worldwide Competition after SNP ministers left its funding in limbo.
Ms Benedetti, the pageant’s director, mentioned all features of its 2025 programme have needed to be “squeezed” as a result of uncertainty over its public funding.
The violinist advised The Scotsman that the pageant has been pressured to drop its large-scale opening occasion, which has been a spotlight during the last decade, as a result of it may possibly not afford it.
The variety of concert events within the Usher Corridor, which has been a cornerstone of the Edinburgh Worldwide Competition (EIF) since its launch in 1947, can also be anticipated to be considerably scaled again.
Ms Benedetti mentioned it was “heartbreaking for us to be presenting a diminished pageant” and urged SNP ministers to supply a “vital uplift” in funding in subsequent month’s Scottish Finances.