Sheku Kanneh-Mason (born 4 April 1999) is a British cellist who won the 2016 BBC Young Musician award. He was the first black musician to win the competition since its launch in 1978. He played at the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle on 19 May 2018 under the direction of Christopher Warren-Green. Also performing at the wedding was the traditional choir of St. George's Chapel led by James Vivian and gospel performers the Kingdom Choir, conducted by Karen Gibson. As of 2021, Kanneh-Mason plays a Matteo Goffriller cello that was made in 1700.
Early life and education
Kanneh-Mason grew up in Nottingham, England. He was born to Stuart Mason, from London, a luxury hotel business manager of Antiguan descent, and Dr. Kadiatu Kanneh, from Sierra Leone, a former lecturer at the University of Birmingham and author of the 2020 book House of Music: Raising the Kanneh-Masons.
The third of seven children, he began learning the cello at the age of six with Sarah Huson-Whyte, having briefly played the violin. His love for the cello started when he saw his sister perform in 'Stringwise', an annual weekend course for young Nottingham string players, run by the local music charity Music for Everyone. He then switched from violin to cello and went on to take part in Music for Everyone's Stringwise courses, impressing their conductors with his ability to play everything from memory.
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