Jeneba Kanneh-Mason

If there were such a thing as a musician gene, the Kanneh-Mason family would have plenty of it: seven siblings, all playing either violin, cello, or piano, endowed with phenomenal talent. Sheku Kanneh-Mason played cello at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Isata Kanneh-Mason has performed with Elton John and is pursuing a brilliant career as a pianist. Now, their younger sister Jeneba follows in their footsteps, fitting perfectly into the Youngsters series launched in 2024 by the Klavier-Festival Ruhr.

In this series, held at Zeche Zollern—with its impressive machine hall and Art Nouveau portal, one of the most iconic sites of industrial culture—artists who, despite their young age, are already at home on the world’s major stages, present themselves. In Jeneba Kanneh-Mason’s case, the combination of a spectacular venue and extraordinary talent is further enriched by a particularly captivating program. The young pianist pairs classics by Bach, Beethoven, and Chopin with works by African American composers William Grant Still and Florence Price, who were long marginalized due to their skin color and are only now receiving their deserved place on concert stages.

Photo: John Davis