A 19-year-old British cellist wowed the crowd gathered in St. George's Chapel Saturday to watch Prince Harry wed American actress Meghan Markle.
Kensington Palace officials announced last month that Sheku Kanneh-Mason would perform at the wedding after Prince Harry saw him play at an event in London last year.
He stunned the 600 guests at Windsor Castle on Saturday with a rendition of Franz Schubert’s “Ave Maria” and other pieces of music.
Here are 6 things to know about the young musician:
- Kanneh-Mason performs with his sister, 21-year-old piano player Isata, and his brother, 20-year-old violinist Braimah, as part of the Kanneh-Mason Trio. His four other siblings also play music. Konya Kanneh-Mason, 17, plays piano and violin, Janeba Kanneh-Mason, 15, plays piano and cello and Aminata Kanneh-Mason, 12, plays violin and piano.
- Kanneh-Mason has been studying cello for 13 years, starting when he was 6 years old, according to his official biography. He is currently a full-time student at the Royal Academy of Music, London.
- Kanneh-Mason was 17 in 2016 when he won the BBC's Young Musician competition. He was the first black musician to take top honors in the competition, according to BBC News.
- He released his debut album, "Inspiration," in January 2018. The album included his arrangement of Bob Marley's well-known hit "No Woman No Cry," which went viral on Spotify.
- Kanneh-Mason has performed with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the City of Birmingham Symphony and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. He has a number of upcoming performances scheduled, including performances with the Seattle Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.
- Kanneh-Mason said he was "bowled over" when Markle called to ask him whether he would play during her wedding to Prince Harry. "Of course I immediately said yes!" he said, according to Vanity Fair. "What a privilege to be able to play the cello at such a wonderful event."
About the Author
The Latest