Crossword Genius

In recital, poet is a striking performer (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

cymbalist

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'striking performer' is the definition.
The definition suggests a singular noun which matches the answer.

'in recital poet is a' is the wordplay.
I cannot really understand how this works, but
'recital' could be 'list' and 'list' is found in the answer.
'a' is present in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

I've seen this clue in The Times.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.