Abdullah Chhadeh, the Syrian master exponent of the qanun, who plays at York Live Music Festival on Sunday, May 23.

Abdullah, welcome to York for the first time. Firstly, what is a qanun?

"It's a tenth century Arabic instrument, a flat sound box in the shape of a trapeze with 81 strings. The word qanun means the law, and it is like the piano in that every other instrument has to tune to it. So it's a very stable instrument."

Eighty-one strings? Surely you could have chosen something easier to play?

"The first instrument I played was the oud, but at some point I was taking part in this collaborative concert in Damascus and a musician began to play the qanun beside me. I found myself more interested in what he was playing. I was captivated, and although it's quite an expensive instrument, I set about trying to find out who would sell me one."

You play the bass, tenor, alto and soprano versions of the qanun. Where did your learn the instrument?

"As a student in Damascus, where I experimented with the qanun, and I even added an extra octave to the higher end of the soprano scale to give it a wider sound. I started playing a lot of different music from classical to Eastern."

For anyone, who has not heard the qanun, could you compare its sound to that of any other instrument?

"When people hear me playing solo, sometimes they hear the harp, sometimes they hear the Spanish guitar, sometimes they hear medieval instruments. So it sounds like a combination of instruments and when you see the qanun, those comparisons will make sense."

Are you a rarity in making the qanun your choice of instrument?

"Although, it is considered the main instrument in a band, there are not many people who play it, because it's difficult to play, it's not affordable and for some reason the younger Syrian generation are neglecting it, particularly in favour of playing guitar and keyboards. I was one of those people who went in the 'wrong' direction. I was the young person playing the old instrument, and I fell in love with it."

You were enchanted when you first heard the qanun. What impact does your playing have on first-time listeners?

"It gets a very, very strong reaction. People come up to me backstage and say they're amazed that they've never heard this instrument before, because the music is so beautiful with such complex sounds."

Abdullah Chhadeh with Nara, National Centre for Early Music, York, York Live Music Festival, Sunday at 7.30pm. Tickets: £10, concessions £8, students £3.50; ring 01904 658338.

Updated: 16:19 Thursday, May 20, 2004