Sheku And Isata Kanneh-Mason Release First Duo Collaboration On Decca Classics

On Friday, November 5, 2021, star sibling duo Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason release their first recorded duo collaboration, Muse, on Decca Classics. The release features impassioned performances of the works of Barber and Rachmaninov, including each composer's cello sonata and a selection of beautiful songs transcribed for cello and piano.

Both the Rachmaninov and Barber cello sonatas found a natural place in Sheku and Isata's concert programs before COVID-19 lockdowns halted the world. In the months leading up to the standstill, they found shared enthusiasm along with a familiar comfort in playing the pieces together. Considering this, they asked themselves an important question... Can a live concert be replicated, offstage? The siblings aspired to share the process of exploration and discovery behind each piece and to demonstrate where they stood in their realization of them. Capturing this energy for the recording of Muse, when all concerts were paused world-wide, provides a snapshot of a unique period of stretched and unexpected time together. Sheku and Isata embrace a musical relationship that holds no rivalry; its security encourages risks with their interpretation of the composers' broad works and the result is magical.

Barber's Cello Sonata from the 1930's is an early work and not one that is well known. The duo reveled in the discovery of its intricacies and quickly became fond of the Barber pieces throughout the process. Sheku and Isata carefully describe these as shamelessly dramatic, with a sense of innocent impatience. A short sonata that boasts youthful extremity, it clearly resonated perfectly for the pair. In juxtaposition to the Rachmaninov, the intentional drama is not shy, and neither is their fine execution of this powerful sonata.

Rachmaninov's much-loved sonata is described by the composer as giving equal footing to the piano and cello. Having grown up around the popular Second Piano Concerto, the pair explore the detail of each of these works by refining every subtle nuance found within. The result is a multi-dimensional work of art that is considered a joy to play for both instruments. Although Rachmaninov infrequently strayed into chamber music, this selection of masterpieces finds Sheku imitating a great, rich Russian voice on his instrument. In this way, an array of textures is brought out in Rachmaninov's work that would not be traditionally assumed.

About Sheku Kanneh-Mason
Sheku Kanneh-Mason is already in great demand from major orchestras and concert halls worldwide. He became a household name in 2018 after performing at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Windsor Castle, watched by nearly two billion people globally. In 2016, Sheku was the first Black musician to win the BBC Young Musician competition. He has released two chart-topping albums on Decca Classics, including Elgar (2020) which reached No. 8 on the UK Official Album Chart, making him the first cellist in history to reach the UK Top 10. Since his debut in 2017, Sheku has performed every summer at the BBC Proms.

Sheku has made debuts with top-tier orchestras across the globe, with future highlights including performances with the Cleveland Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Barcelona Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, and London Philharmonic, among many others. In recital, Sheku has performed at illustrious venues and festivals around the world, including Wigmore Hall London, Edinburgh, and Aldeburgh Festivals, Zurich Tonhalle, Lucerne Festival, Verbier Festival, Théâtre des Champs Elysées Paris, and Carnegie Hall. Current and future seasons include appearances at the Barbican Hall London, Berliner Philharmonie, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Suntory Hall Tokyo, and tours of North America, Italy, South Korea and China.

Sheku continues his studies with Hannah Roberts at the Royal Academy of Music in London as a Bicentenary Fellow. He began learning the cello at the age of six with Sarah Huson-Whyte and then Ben Davies at the Junior Department of the Royal Academy of Music. He was appointed a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 New Year's Honours List. Learn more at www.shekukannehmason.com.

About Isata Kanneh-Mason
Pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason is the recipient of the 2021 Leonard Bernstein Award, a 2020 Opus Klassik award for best young artist and, as a member of the Kanneh-Mason family, the 2021 best classical artist at the Global Awards. Her debut album on Decca Classics, Romance - the Piano Music of Clara Schumann, drew popular and critical acclaim, entering the UK classical charts at No. 1 when it was released in July 2019. This was followed in July 2021 by Summertime, a journey through the varied piano repertoire of 20th-century America featuring Samuel Barber's Piano Sonata and a world premiere recording of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's Impromptu in B minor.

Since studying with Hamish Milne and Carole Presland at London's Royal Academy of Music, graduating in 2020 with a Master of Arts in Performance and the Diploma of the Royal Academy of Music, Isata has embarked on a successful and increasingly busy concert career as a solo artist, with concerto appearances, solo recitals and chamber concerts throughout the UK and abroad. In the 21/22 season, Isata will continue as Young Artist in Residence with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and be one of the European Concert Hall Organisation's Rising Stars. Highlights of the next season also include the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, the Rheingau Festival, Paris Mozart Orchestra, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Dallas Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, a solo recital tour of North America, and many more. Learn more at www.isatakannehmason.com.

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