Decca Classics has signed 17-year-old cello superstar Sheku Kanneh-Mason to its roster of artists. Kanneh-Mason came to prominence when he was named BBC Young Musician 2016.
His first release for Decca will be a recording of Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No 1 – the same piece that won him first prize in the BBC competition. In addition to releasing recordings the label will also ‘help foster his remarkable talent through on-going support for his musical studies.’
‘It is a great honour for me to be joining the Decca Classics family and following in the footsteps of great artists like Mstislav Rostropovich, my musical hero,’ said Kanneh-Mason. ‘I’m excited to take the next step on my journey and look forward to bringing my passion for classical music to a wider audience.’
Dr Alexander Buhr, managing director of Decca Classics, added that, ‘Sheku is an astonishingly gifted young musician with incredible energy and a burning passion for his music…I can’t wait to see him grow and develop in the coming years and we will be by his side every step of the way.’
In addition to his BBC win Kanneh-Mason has won the Royal Philharmonic Society Young Instrumentalist Prize and regularly plays with Chineke! Orchestra. He will be the subject of a BBC Four documentary Young, Gifted And Classical: The Making Of A Maestro, which airs on 20 November 20.