Seven Voices, One Family: The Kanneh-Mason Siblings
As we grow older, many of us come to understand that mastery is rarely sudden. It is built slowly, almost invisibly, through repetition. Scales practiced when no one is listening. Hours accumulated over years. The Kanneh-Mason siblings did not wake up one day as musicians admired across the world; they became who they are through daily devotion. That truth feels especially resonant in later life, when reflection replaces urgency and we begin to value steadiness over speed.
Their story also invites us to think differently about legacy. Legacy is often imagined as something monumental, awards, titles, public recognition. But watching this family, I was reminded that legacy can also be something quieter: a parent sitting beside a child at a piano bench, a shared expectation that effort matters, a household where learning is valued for its own sake. Long after applause fades, these habits endure.
For those of us in the autumn chapters of life, there is something reassuring in this. We may no longer chase grand ambitions, but we continue to practice, writing a few paragraphs each morning, preparing a familiar meal, tending to our routines. These daily acts are not small. They are how meaning is sustained. The Kanneh-Masons’ music is simply a visible version of what many of us have done all our lives: show up, again and again.
What also struck me was how their collective success challenges the idea that aging is about decline alone. The parents in this story are not in the spotlight, yet their influence is unmistakable. Their wisdom lives on through sound, through discipline passed down, through values embedded so deeply they no longer need instruction. This is aging at its most generous, becoming the foundation others stand upon.
In a world obsessed with instant results, this family reminds us that some of the most enduring achievements are built slowly and shared generously. Their music carries not only melody, but memory. Not only brilliance, but continuity.
As I watched them perform, I thought about my own daily practices, my writing, my reflections, the quiet rituals that shape my days. Perhaps that, too, is a form of music. Not meant for grand halls, but for the long listening of a life.
And that may be the most lasting lesson of all: that what we practice daily becomes what we leave behind.
- Isata (29): Pianist and eldest sibling. She is a successful recording artist with Decca Classics, known for her chart-topping debut album Romance.
- Braimah (28): Violinist who frequently performs in a trio with Isata and Sheku. He also plays with the band Clean Bandit.
- Sheku (26): Cellist who gained global fame after winning the BBC Young Musician award in 2016 and performing at the 2018 Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
- Konya (25): Pianist and violinist who has performed for various members of the British Royal Family.
- Jeneba (23): Pianist and cellist. She has performed as a soloist with the Chineke! Orchestra and reached the final of the BBC Young Musician competition.
- Aminata (20): Violinist and pianist who achieved Grade 8 Distinction on both instruments at a young age.
- Mariatu (16): Cellist and pianist, and the youngest of the seven. She is already touring and recording alongside her siblings.
- Television & Awards: Six of the siblings reached the semi-finals of Britain's Got Talent in 2015. Collectively, they received the Global Award for Best Classical Artist in 2021.
- Discography: Their first family album, Carnival, was released in 2020. Their second album, River of Music, was released in September 2025.
- The "Sheku Effect": Sheku’s success sparked a massive surge in interest in the cello, with applications for cello lessons in England rising by nearly 70% in 2020.
- Representation: As young Black classical musicians, they have been vocal about the importance of representation. Their mother’s award-winning book, House of Music: Raising the Kanneh-Masons, details their upbringing and the barriers they faced.
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