Jeneba Kanneh-Mason

Important Update: Change of Artist

You may have read recently about cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason suffering from a finger injury. Unfortunately, Sheku's ongoing recovery from this injury is taking longer than he anticipated, and with great regret, he must withdraw from all his concerts through to the end of May 2026.

We are, however, thrilled to announce that his sister, pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, will present a performance in his place.

Sheku and guitarist Plínio Fernandes will perform at The Cumnock Tryst as part of the 2027 Festival — full details will be released in due course.

Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, piano

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.

We have also partnered on this event with our sister festival, Boswell Book Festival. On Saturday 9th May at midday, Jeneba’s mother Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason will discuss her eloquent memoirs House of Music and To Be Young, Gifted and Black with Gillian Moore at Dumfries House.

Together, we are offering a joint-ticket at a discounted rate for attendees of both events. Full details for the Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason event will be released soon.