Isata
Kanneh-Mason
at the Oslo
Opera House

A Virtuoso Family

Isata Kanneh-Mason is the eldest of the seven Kanneh-Mason siblings, all of whom are forging international careers in classical music. Her critically acclaimed debut at the Royal Albert Hall in 2023 led to an invitation to open the prestigious BBC Proms the following year, and she is now in high demand across the globe.

When she performed at the Opera House in 2023, Ola Nordal wrote for KlassiskMusikk.com: “Isata Kanneh-Mason plays with power, vitality and virtuosity.” This evening, she fully explores the expressive possibilities of the piano, demonstrating not only brilliance in the most technically demanding works, but also a refined, sensitive musicality in more introspective pieces.

Watch Isata Kanneh-Mason on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert

From the Moonlight Sonata to Ravel’s Intensity

The evening is framed by two contrasting Beethoven works: the evocative Moonlight Sonata, from the dreamlike first movement to the tempestuous finale, and the bold, masterful Waldstein Sonata.

Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit, inspired by three poems by Aloysius Bertrand, conjures vivid imagery – including the sound of raindrops against a window. The piece is so technically demanding that Ravel himself reportedly could not perform it.

Also featured are two meditative works by Bulgarian-British composer Dobrinka Tabakova: Nocturne, written when she was just 15, and the shimmering, contemplative Halo.

An Award-Winning Young Artist

Despite her young age, Isata Kanneh-Mason has already released four solo albums on Decca Classics: her breakthrough Romance (2019), Summertime (2021), Childhood Tales (2023), and Mendelssohn (2024).

She has received the coveted Leonard Bernstein Award from the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival and was named Young Artist of the Year by Opus Klassik in 2021.