Piano
Jeneba Kanneh-Mason
Pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason was a finalist in the 2018 BBC Young Musician and made her London début in 2020 at the age of 18.
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French Connections with Jeneba Kanneh-Mason
Friday
2
April
2027
,
7:00 pm
Smith Square Hall, London, SW1P 3HA
(view map)
Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin (i. Prélude ii. Forlane iii. Menuet iv. Rigaudon)
Aretha Franklin Spirit in the Dark
Margaret Bonds Troubled Water
Aretha Franklin Think
Debussy Petite Suite (i. En bateau ii. Cortège iii. Menuet iv. Ballet)
interval
Debussy Clair de Lune
Satie Gymnopédie no. 1
Ravel Piano Concerto in G major (i. Allegramente ii. Adagio assai iii. Presto)
With arrangements by Harry Baker
Jeneba Kanneh-Mason
Piano
Tom Fetherstonhaugh
Conductor
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We’re joined by pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason for a programme of French colour, jazz-inflected brilliance and soulful reinvention.
At the centre of the evening is Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major: a dazzling, quick-witted work shaped by the composer’s love of jazz, its glittering outer movements framing one of the most serene slow movements in the piano repertoire.
The programme opens in the luminous world of early 20th-century France, with Ravel’s elegant Le Tombeau de Couperin and Debussy’s charming Petite Suite. Alongside them, Debussy’s Clair de Lune and Satie’s Gymnopédie No. 1 offer moments of stillness, intimacy and unmistakable atmosphere.
Threaded through the concert is a different but deeply connected sound world: the spirit, rhythm and emotional directness of American song. Music by Aretha Franklin and Margaret Bonds brings gospel, soul and blues into conversation with the French repertoire, revealing unexpected resonances of colour, freedom and expression.
This is a programme that moves between refinement and electricity, elegance and groove, from the shimmer of Debussy to the swing of Ravel, and from Spirit in the Dark to Troubled Water.
Book early and save: enjoy 15% off tickets for our 2026/27 Smith Square season until 30 September - Use Code: GYMNOPEDIE
Collaborators
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find out more
Jeneba Kanneh-Mason
Pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason is already captivating audiences with her “maturity in performance and interpretation […], the former an uncanny phenomenon” (Fraser). The third of the Kanneh-Mason clan to establish herself as a soloist, Jeneba recently made her BBC Proms debut with the Chineke! Orchestra, performing the Florence Price Concerto and was heralded by the press as “demonstrating musical insight, technical acuity, and an engaging performing persona” (Music OMH).
Jeneba was a Keyboard Category Finalist in BBC Young Musician 2018, winner of the Murs du Son Prize at the Lagny-Sur-Marne International Piano Competition in France, 2014, and The Nottingham Young Musician 2013. She was also winner of the Iris Dyer Piano Prize at The Royal Academy of Music, Junior Academy, where she studied with Patsy Toh.
Jeneba was named one of Classic FM’s ‘Rising Stars’ and appeared on Julian Lloyd Webber’s radio series in 2021. She has also been featured on several television and radio programmes, including Radio 3, In Tune, The BAFTAs, The Royal Variety Performance, the documentary for BBC4, Young, Gifted and Classical, and the Imagine documentary for BBC1, This House is Full of Music. She has recorded for the album, Carnival, with Decca Classics
Concert highlights
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Conductor
Tom Fetherstonhaugh
Tom is Fantasia's Conductor & Artistic Director.
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Tom Fetherstonhaugh
Tom’s start in music was fortuitous, as he was lucky to be introduced to an inspiring violin teacher by his grandmother at the age of four.
At eight he became a chorister of Westminster Abbey, an experience he describes as ‘transformative’, benefitting from musical training that featured high profile occasions like singing the solo at the Royal Wedding in 2011. Tom then attended Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, a state comprehensive that champions music and the arts.
He continued with the violin, sang, played the organ, and started to explore conducting, enjoying the process of rehearsals and the ability both to make music with and to bring together large groups of people. It was in his final year at school that he saw the potential for a career in it, founding Fantasia Orchestra in 2016.
Tom now enjoys a busy career with major orchestras, including with the BBC Philharmonic and the National Symphony Orchestra Ireland. In his rare moments of downtime he enjoys running, listening to jazz, and cooking, likening the process to conducting — it being about balance, flavour, pacing and bringing people together.
Venue
Smith Square Hall
Smith Square Hall is a concert hall in the centre of Smith Square, Westminster.
Smith Square Hall, London, SW1P 3HA