Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason takes up NY Phil residency

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The New York Philharmonic has named cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason as the Mary and James G. Wallach artist-in-residence for its 2025-26 season.

Kanneh-Mason will join the orchestra for two weeks of subscription concerts, featuring Bloch’s Schelomo and Elgar’s Cello Concerto. Additionally, he will partner with his pianist sister, Isata, for the orchestra’s Artist Spotlight series.

Kanneh-Mason made his NY Phil debut in November 2021, performing Dvořák’s Cello Concerto, conducted by Simone Young. In 2023–24 he performed Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 on a subscription programme led by Esa-Pekka Salonen and on a Young People’s Concert conducted by Kwamé Ryan. 

Gustavo Dudamel will serve as the orchestra’s music and artistic director designate before he becomes the Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Music and artistic director in September 2026. His tenure will focus on a musical reflection on the US in the nation’s 250th anniversary year.

Young violinist María Dueñas will make her NY Phil debut in January 2026 with a performance of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto under Manfred Honeck. Vilde Frang will make her debut in March 2026 performing Elgar’s Violin Concerto under Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla. Gil Shaham, who made his Philharmonic debut in 1985, will make his first NY Phil appearances as leader as well as soloist.

Numerous string stars feature in the orchestra’s season, including Leila Josefowicz, NY Phil concertmaster Frank Huang, Joshua Bell, Nicola Benedetti, Augustin Hadelich, Leonidas Kavakos, Karen Gomyo and Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider. 

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