Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Appoints Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason as MAC Music Innovator for 2024

Kanneh-Mason will lead masterclasses with local students, as well as making his concerto debut with the CSO

The British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason has recently been appointed as the 2024 MAC Music Innovator at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO). As the Music Innovator, he will hold a year-long residency designed to highlight the work of Black leaders in the classical music world.

Kanneh-Mason's residency will focus on educational and community engagement programs. He will lead masterclasses with area students, as well as work closely with them on chamber music. In addition, he will make his solo debut with the CSO, performing Shostakovich's Cello Concerto under the baton of Guest Conductor Katharina Wincor.

The first Black musician to win the BBC Young Musician of the Year award in 2016, Sheku Kanneh-Mason performed for a global audience of two billion people at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Windsor Castle in 2018.

He is a global ambassador for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and also serves as an ambassador for Future Talent and Patron of Music Masters charities. In addition, Kanneh-Mason was awarded the MBE in 2018.

"Sheku’s mission to make music accessible to all really resonated with us and aligns with the intent of the MAC Music Innovator program, which was created to showcase Black classical musicians who demonstrate artistic excellence as well as a passion for community engagement," said Jonathan Martin, President and CEO of the CSO.

"We are thrilled to have Sheku with the CSO this season, and we’re excited to see the impact he will have on local students and the broader community."

"I'm really excited to have a closer relationship with CSO via this wonderful MAC Music Innovator role," Kanneh-Mason said. "It's always a privilege to be involved with education projects as well as orchestral performances. It’s my first time in the city so it will be nice to get to know the city, the orchestra and the audiences, as well."