Isata Kanneh-Mason, pianist

Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in music?

I wasn’t inspired by a particular person more than the music itself.  I was captivated by the pieces of music I was listening to. I wanted to explore them and that made me want to have music as my career.  My influences were Martha Argerich, Bob Marley, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Rachmaninov.

What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far? 

Learning how to navigate time really. Knowing how much time I would need to prepare for the amount of music I wanted to learn; how much time to have between travelling for concerts; how much time to have off and for learning pieces. It’s a bit of trial and error but I think I’m getting the hang of it!

Of which performances/recordings are you most proud?

I am most proud of my Prokofiev recording and of Rachmaninov Third Concerto in Prague with the Prague Radio Symphony in April 2026.  

Which particular works/composers do you think you perform best? 

Probably Prokofiev Third Concerto, but I would also say that I feel very connected to some Beethoven that I am currently playing..

How do you make your repertoire choices from season to season?

I usually hear a piece of music and feel a strong connection to it.  Sometimes I get an idea into my head and I will go and explore a composer and build programmes from there.

Do you have a favourite concert venue to perform in and why?

Wigmore Hall still.  I’m always performing chamber music there, often with my family and there are often friends and family in the audience and that makes for a very inspiring atmosphere.

What do you do off stage that provides inspiration on stage?

Offstage it’s all about relaxing myself so that I am in a relaxed enough state when I get on stage so that I can focus and get in the zone and then the inspiration comes after that.

What is your most memorable concert experience?

When I was 12 and I had my first memory lapse and I came in a different key to the orchestra! We had to stop playing completely and restart.  That was my first experience of something going wrong on stage and therefore a very memorable one!

As a musician, what is your definition of success?

Having the freedom to choose your own projects and the confidence to be able to give all of yourself to them.

What do you feel needs to be done to grow classical music’s audiences?  

I think there could be more done by more organisations to make it accessible for a wider audience.  It needs to be more available in and for schools, and for schools and others to attend concerts via schemes for cheaper tickets by the conventional concert halls.  There are people using very creative venues – Bold Tendencies, Through the Noise for example – and I love the way these are marketed, they feel like they have a broader appeal.  It would be great if there could be more like these.

What’s the one thing in the music industry we’re not talking about which you think we should be? 

We are not talking enough about certain spaces that remain very male-dominated.  For example some festivals feel as if they are lagging behind and perhaps not working quite hard enough to break down the barriers and prejudices that women may feel they still face.

What advice would you give to young or aspiring musicians? 

Really lean into the aspects of music you are most passionate about.  Even as you expand your tastes it’s good to be aware of where you feel most at home, in terms of composers you gravitate towards and the styles of playing that most speak to you.

What’s next? Where would you like to be in 10 years?  

Feeling like I really have the freedom to do the projects that most speak to me and feeling even more confident in how I express myself as a musician. 

What is your most treasured possession?  

I most treasure the people close to me and being able to spend time with them.

Isata Kanneh-Mason appears at this year’s Oxford Piano Festival which runs from 25 July to 2 August. Find out more

Photo credit Karolina Wielocha