Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Benjamin Grosvenor
He was already a fantastic cellist, but Sheku Kanneh-Mason became world-famous overnight when he played at Windsor Castle in 2018 for the wedding of Prince Harry and Megan Markle. Two billion people watched from around the world. Kanneh-Mason made his debut in the Kleine Zaal in 2024. His companion today, pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, has a longer history with the hall; he played there for the first time in 2012. He is passionate about chamber music: 'I love collaborating with others, having a musical dialogue.' Kanneh-Mason and Grosvenor know each other and previously worked intensively on music by Beethoven, which will also be performed tonight, alongside Rachmaninoff's High Romantic Sonata .
Beethoven and Rachmaninoff
The introspective key of G minor has yielded brilliant gems, such as Mozart's Fortieth Symphony , Brahms' First Piano Quartet , and Vivaldi's Magnificat . The cello sonatas by Beethoven and Rachmaninoff, true highlights of the cello repertoire, also belong in that list. Beethoven's extensive introduction sounds almost like a free improvisation, while Rachmaninoff's Andante unleashes lush, lyrical cello melodies. Together, these sonatas demonstrate just how rich, versatile, and emotional the combination of cello and piano can be.