The Valley Concert Society is very excited to present Jeneba Kanneh-Mason in recital at the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium on Friday, February 20, at 7:30 p.m.
The Kanneh-Mason family has been intentional about championing Black musicians, encouraging Black youth to participate in music, and working to break down barriers based on colour. Kadiatu Kanneh, Jeneba’s mother, last year released a book entitled To Be Young, Gifted and Black.
The second half of Jeneba’s performance here will include two short works by Black composers. She will open with Summerland, a gentle evocation of Paradise by the grandson of a Georgian slave, William Grant Still.
Jeneba will also play Fantasie Nègre No. 1 by Florence Price. A successful composer in her lifetime, Price was the first Black woman to have a work performed by a major American orchestra, the Chicago Symphony. After her death, her music almost disappeared from the concert stage until a number of her manuscripts were discovered in 2009. Her profile in classical music has risen dramatically since then.
The eldest Kanneh-Mason children have all been members of Chineke! Orchestra, founded in 2015 to provide opportunities for young Black and ethnically diverse classical musicians. Jeneba toured Europe in 2022 with Chineke! performing Florence Price’s Piano Concerto. She made her debut at the BBC Proms in 2021 performing works by three Black composers.
Jeneba has been acclaimed for her “maturity in performance and interpretation.” Last year she released her first album Fantasie with Sony Classical. The recording includes a few of the works she will perform here as well as music by Chopin.
Tickets for this concert are available online at www.valleyconcertsociety.com at $32 for adults and $20 for students. Call 604-289-3377 for more information.
John Wiebe - President
The Valley Concert Society