One of the top moments of the royal wedding had to be watching young cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason perform three moving pieces–including Maria Theresia von Paradis' "Sicilienne" and Franz Schubert's "Ave Maria"–for the guests inside St George's Chapel (top photo via Instagram).
Not only is Kanneh-Mason just 19 years old and impressively talented, he's also the first black musician to win the 2016 BBC Young Musician of the Year award. It comes as no surprise to learn it was Meghan Markle who invited him to perform at her and Prince Harry's big day.
Image via Harlem Chamber Players
The wedding now seems like some beautiful fairytale, but if Kanneh-Mason's performance has whetted your appetite for more examples of inclusion in the world of classical music, look no further than the Harlem Chamber Players. An eight-year-old collective of ethnically diverse professional musicians, the group will present "Harlem Songfest," its final concert of the season, on Friday, June 1.
The program will include arias by Mozart, Verdi, Puccini and others sung by some of Harlem's most talented voices: Met Opera sopranos Janinah Burnett and Brandie Sutton, mezzo-soprano Lucia Bradford, tenor Chauncey Packer, and baritone Kenneth Overton. Conductor David Gilbert will lead the ensemble.
The performance will be held at the Miller Theatre at Columbia University and will start at 7pm; tickets are only $20 if you buy them in advance online, so hurry!
