19-year-old British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason was thrust into the global limelight as he performed at star-studded Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle married on Saturday in a star-studded Royal Wedding at the iconic St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in presence of 600 guests, including the Queen. The ceremony that blended ancient English ritual with African-American culture, infusing the 1,000-year-old British monarchy with a blast of modernity was watched up close by royals and celebrities, and from afar by a global TV audience of nearly 2 billion.
There were a ton of memorable moments at the Royal Wedding for the couple and guests but there was one for a young cellist who will remember the day as one of his most cherished performances. 19-year-old British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason was thrust into the global limelight on Saturday, heard by millions as he played at the Royal Wedding.
Before we get to know more about the young artist, you must watch his performance:
As the couple signed the register, Kanneh-Mason played three pieces accompanied by an orchestra: "Apres un Reve" by French composer Gabriel Faure, "Sicilienne" by Maria Theresia von Paradis and Schubert's "Ave Maria".
In the hours after his performance media around the world scrambled to find out what they could about the musician.
The young musician was asked by Meghan herself to perform.
Here are 10 things to know about Sheku Kanneh-Mason:
1. Sheku is from Nottingham in England.
2. He is already well-known in Britain, where he was voted BBC Young Musician in 2016 and his debut album "Inspiration" topped the classical music charts.
(Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason is seen in an undated handout picture released by Kensington Palace April 24, 2018, Reuters)
3. He was the first black musician to win the prestigious BBC competition since it was launched in 1978.
4. Sheku and his six siblings competed on the show "Britain’s Got Talent" in 2015 as a musical group and reached the semi-finals
5. He is a student of the Royal Academy of Music, London.
6. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle first saw Sheku perform last year.
7. Kanneh-Mason said on Twitter in April that he received a personal call from Markle asking him to perform at the ceremony. "Of course I immediately said yes! What a privilege," he wrote.
8. The cellist was dressed for the event by British fashion designer Paul Smith, a long-time fan of Sheku, according to a Hollywood Life report.
9. He started playing the cello at age six, after deciding he wanted to play something bigger than a violin, a Cosmopolitan report said.
10. There is a BBC documentary about Sheku Kanneh-Mason and his life titled “Young, Gifted and Classical: The Making of A Mastro.”
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 "Sheku Kanneh-Mason performs during the signing of the register at Royal Wedding")
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