Kanneh-Mason performed at 2023’s Last Night alongside conductor Marin Alsop, who made history in 2013 as the first woman to lead the occasion.
He performed Maz Bruch’s Kol Nidrei, and a Samuel Coleridge-Taylor arrangement of Deep River.
The cellist also spoke about his experience as a young black classical music artist and said there were occasions he had not been “taken seriously”.
“Very often, in the spaces that I was in within classical music, myself and my family were very often the only black people in those places,” he said.
“Most of the time it was fine in the sense I felt comfortable and all good but there was certainly occasions where my being black meant that I wasn’t necessarily taken seriously in some situations.
He said he was able to deal with prejudice from the example of black role models, such as Muhammad Ali.
No nerves
“What gave me the strength in those situations is, we would spend a lot of time as children watching documentaries of real black heroes succeeding and being challenged and overcoming”.
The 24-year-old from Nottingham, who won the BBC Young Musician 2016 award, has said he was not affected by nerves when his performance at the 2018 royal wedding in St George’s Chapel, Windsor was broadcast around the world.
“I think at the time of performing, it felt like very much just playing to the people in the room,” he said.
He added: “I think in terms of nervousness, I’m more nervous for my cello lesson, because I know that my teacher listens in (a) certain way.
“I guess what I’m saying is, the audience, yeah, I’m grateful for them being there, but I don’t think who is there necessarily puts … more pressure.”
The Last Night of the Proms has become a political and cultural battleground in recent years.
Last year the BBC faced calls for an inquiry into its coverage of the event after it showed a sea of European Union Flags being waved.
It was announced in November that David Pickard, the Proms director, would step down later this year, having led the music festival since 2015.
During his time in post he also oversaw the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra play in 2022 and the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage and the end of the First World War in 2018.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
