Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason Awarded 2020 Rheingau Music Festival Award

Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason has been announced as the recipient of the 2020 Rheingau Music Festival Award

21-year-old British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason has this week been announced as the recipient of the prestigious 2020 Rheingau Music Festival Award - in Rheingau, Germany.

Sheku will receive a €15,000 scholarship - made possible by the German Hessen Lottery. 

"With his honest, earthy tone and warm vibrato, Sheku embraces almost every musical phrase and plays into the hearts of the audience ..."  Festival Founder Michael Herrmann has this week said.

"Since the start of his career, the young cellist has emphasized what is important to him - family cohesion, sustainability and solidarity ... it is not the numerous, unique media appearances, but rather his sincerity and humanity that make this exceptional artist a role model and a beacon of hope for an entire generation," he has said.

This year's jury comprised: conductor Christoph Eschenbach, Michael Herrmann and Heinz-Georg Sundermann.

Previous recipients include violinists Iskandar Widjaja and Leticia Moreno – and cellist VC Artist Pablo Ferrández.