JENEBA KANNEH-MASON

ABOUT JENEBA

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Pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason is already captivating audiences with her “maturity in performance and interpretation […], the former an uncanny phenomenon” (Fraser). The third of the Kanneh-Mason clan to establish herself as a soloist, Jeneba recently made her BBC Proms debut with the Chineke! Orchestra, performing the Florence Price Concerto and was heralded by the press as “demonstrating musical insight, technical acuity, and an engaging performing persona” (Music OMH).

Jeneba was a Keyboard Category Finalist in BBC Young Musician 2018, winner of the Murs du Son Prize at the Lagny-Sur-Marne International Piano Competition in France, 2014, and The Nottingham Young Musician 2013. She was also winner of the Iris Dyer Piano Prize at The Royal Academy of Music, Junior Academy, where she studied with Patsy Toh.

Recent and forthcoming highlights include debuts with the Philharmonia, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, and the Sinfonia Viva for the New Year Gala. She also undertakes an extensive tour with Chineke! across Europe in November 2022 for the Price Concerto, and recorded with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. An avid recital performer, Jeneba will also be making solo debuts at the Zurich Tonhalle, London Wigmore Hall, Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields, amongst others, as well as the Lenzburgiade, Rheingau, Cheltenham, Bradfield and Lamberhurst festivals. In 2022, Jeneba also embarked on tours of Australia, USA, Antigua and Barbuda with the Kanneh-Masons.

Jeneba was named one of Classic FM’s ‘Rising Stars’ and appeared on Julian Lloyd Webber’s radio series in 2021. She has also been featured on several television and radio programmes, including Radio 3, In Tune, The BAFTAs, The Royal Variety Performance, the documentary for BBC4, Young, Gifted and Classical, and the Imagine documentary for BBC1, This House is Full of Music. She has recorded for the album, Carnival, with Decca Classics.

Jeneba holds the Victoria Robey Scholarship to The Royal College of Music, studying piano with Vanessa Latarche. She is grateful to Lady Robey, The Nottingham Soroptimist Trust and to The Nottingham Education Trust.

JENEBA KANNEH-MASON SIGNS WITH SONY CLASSICAL FOR FIRST RECITAL ALBUM, RELEASING IN 2025

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Sony Classical is delighted to announce the exclusive signing of pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, who records her first recital album this year for release in Spring 2025.

The 21-year-old British pianist has already impressed critics with her “poetry and confidence” (The Guardian) and as a “vivid soloist” (The Sunday Times) who performs “straight from the heart, with care, sparkle and self-possession” (BBC Music Magazine). Following her début tour of Australia, the Chronicle exclaimed: “There was maturity in performance and interpretation … Effortless, yes. Impressive, even more so – and exciting is probably an understatement.”

Jeneba’s first recording on the label displays her wide-ranging curiosity for repertoire and individual approach to programming, with a recital that juxtaposes works by Frédéric Chopin, Claude Debussy and Alexander Scriabin with music by under-represented composers Margaret Bonds, Florence Price and William Grant Still.

Already an established performer of music by Florence Price, on her 2023 recording of the composer’s Concerto in One Movement, The Observer noted that “Price could have no more persuasive an advocate”. Of her performance of the work at the BBC Proms, the Evening Standard wrote that “she proved an eloquent advocate for the piece with her sensitive yet alert playing”.

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Jeneba Kanneh-Mason says:

“I am so happy and honoured to join the prestigious roster of artists at Sony Classical. I can’t remember a time when classical music wasn’t an integral part of my life, and I am a huge advocate for its positive influences and ability to really connect with such a wide range of people. The piano repertoire is enormous and I’m excited to be able to explore it, discovering the old, the new, and to perform pieces by more women, as well as black and minority ethnic composers.”

Per Hauber, President, Sony Classical International says:

“I am delighted to welcome Jeneba Kanneh-Mason to Sony Classical. We can’t wait to shape the next steps of Jeneba’s career together with her as her exclusive recording partner.”

Dr. Alexander Buhr, SVP A&R, Sony Classical International says:

“Jeneba’s musical prowess is simply electrifying. With curiosity and a vibrant spirit, she brings her very own fresh perspective to every piece she plays. We are absolutely thrilled to have Jeneba join the Sony Classical family, bringing her infectious energy to our joint musical journey!”

Kathryn Enticott, Enticott Music Management says:

“We are thrilled that Jeneba is joining the fantastic roster of artists at Sony Classical. From the beginning of our discussions with the label, it was clear that the whole international team understood Jeneba’s needs and wishes as a young pianist, starting to forge her own path. We look forward to a close and collaborative relationship with the label and can’t wait to see what the future will bring!”

Jeneba, who was a finalist in the 2018 BBC Young Musician competition and a recent Classic FM Rising Star, completes her studies at the Royal College of Music this summer, where she holds the Victoria Robey Scholarship. Pianist magazine celebrates Jeneba’s signing to Sony Classical by featuring her on the June cover.

“I’ve wanted to be a pianist for as long as I can remember and it feels like a wonderful opportunity to work with the label and to have their confidence and support. I will look forward to our first recording!” Jeneba is well on track as she joins the Sony Classical roster and begins her journey alongside eminent fellow pianists Leif Ove Andsnes, Khatia Buniatishvili and Igor Levit, as well as historical legends such as Glenn Gould and Arthur Rubinstein.