Stream: The Kanneh-Mason Family
20 Minutes of Sheer Delight
Introducing the Kanneh-Masons’ homely Chamber Ensemble of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3’s 1st Movement, featuring Isata Kanneh-Mason.
On 18th April 2020, the talented Isata Kanneh-Mason was scheduled to perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall. Due to the current Coronavirus crisis the concert was cancelled. For this reason, the innovative and exceptionally gifted Kanneh-Mason family decided to livestream a Chamber Music quintet performance of the 1st Movement of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3 from their home.
Like bygone classical musicians of African descent from George Bridgetower (Afro-European virtuoso violinist 1778-1860); Florence Price (first Afro-American female pianist to be recognised as a symphonic composer 1887-1953); George Walker (first Afro-American pianist to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music 1922-2018); to Muhal Richard Adams (composer, cellist, clarinettist and jazz pianist 1930-2017), the siblings, seven in all of whom five perform here, play violin, piano and cello.
This wonderful quintet, featuring concerto soloist Isata on piano, with her siblings, Braimah and Aminata on violin, Sheku on cello, and Jeneba on the 2nd piano provide their audience with an outstanding performance of the 1st Movement of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3.
Isata Kanneh-Mason, 24, is a master pianist. Having been awarded the esteemed Sir Elton John Scholarship, this exceptionally gifted Royal Academy of Music graduate has now completed her studies. Isata, who is currently signed to Decca Classics, has performed across the globe with both popular musicians and classical artists. On the release of her 2019 debut album ‘Romance’ she entered into the UK Classical Charts at No 1. This young lady has won too many scholarships and awards, made too many appearances on television and radio, and performed at too many venues to include them all here. Distinguished she is.
Braimah Kanneh-Mason, 22, is an outstanding violinist. So much so, the Beare’s International Violin Society have lent him a Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume violin, to perform as a member of both the Royal Academy Symphony Orchestra and Chineke! Having had masterclass tuition from Priya Mitchell, Tasmin Little and Corey Cervosek, Braimah is currently an artist in residence at Brighton College, whilst continuing his studies under Jack Liebeck at the Royal Academy of Music. This young prodigy is a maestro violinist in the making.
Sheku Kanneh-Mason, 21, is a master cellist. He was just 19 when, as concerto soloist, he performed Paradis’ ‘Sicilienne’; Faure’s ‘Apres un reve’ and Schubert’s ‘Ave Maria’, during the signing of the register at the Royal Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Sheku is also signed to Decca Classics, where his debut recording ‘Inspiration’, featuring the Shostakovich Cello Concerto No.1 with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Mirga Gražinyté-Tyla, thrust the album to a debut position at No 18 in the Official UK Album charts and No 1 in the Classical charts. Not surprisingly, this young man’s distinguished talent has earned him an MBE for his contribution to music and Best Classical Artist at the Global Awards 2020.
Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, 17, plays both piano and cello exceptionally well. She has been studying piano under Patsy Toh and cello under Ben Davies at the Royal Academy’s Junior Academy, where at the grand old age of 9, she was awarded a Grade 8 Distinction on the piano. Jeneba has achieved the same meritorious Grade 8 Distinction on the cello. In September 2020, she will commence her scholarship placement at the Royal College of Music where she will study piano under Vanessa Latarche. Like her siblings before her, this young lady, is destined to bloom.
Aminata Kanneh-Mason, 14, plays violin and piano. She attends the Royal Academy of Music’s Junior Academy, where under the direction of Nicole Wilson and Sarah Pickering she continues to study violin and piano. Aminata is also a member of the Academy’s Classical Orchestra and has performed with the Kanneh- Masons throughout the UK, Antigua and Barbuda. In true Kanneh-Mason style, this young lady is following the grade.
This exceptionally gifted orchestral family bring a distinguished new vibrancy to classical music. Their young modern influence just permeates their performance.
All of the siblings aged between 10 and 23 (there are also Konya, 19, and Mariatu, 10) study or have studied at the acclaimed Royal Academy of Music and its Primary and Junior Academies, obtaining numerous prestigious scholarships, prizes and awards along the way.
In 2015, six of the siblings appeared on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’, reaching the semi-final. In 2018, they performed at the Bafta awards and in 2019 at Royal Variety Show before the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. There have been several documentaries made about this remarkable family both in the UK and USA.
From Carnegie Hall to Windsor Castle, The Kanneh-Masons most certainly have the Maestro touch!
This performance can be accessed through Sheku Kanneh-Mason’s Facebook page, where the family have been live-streaming throughout the coronavirus lockdown.
The page also includes a recent moving family tribute to George Floyd, featuring a family performance of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’, and a statement by the family’s mother Dr Kadiatu Kanneh.
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