AN UPCOMING talent in classical music will be joining Chester Philharmonic Orchestra next year at the city's iconic Cathedral.

Pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason will be playing with the orchestra at their next concert on Saturday, March 4, 2023. Performing Rachmaninov's popular Piano Concerto No.2, Jeneba's appearance follows on from a sold-out show for Chester Philharmonic Orchestra with her brother Skeku, in June 2022.

Named as one of Classic FM's 'Rising Stars' in 2021, she currently holds the Victoria Robey Scholarship at the Royal College of Music.

The concert programme also includes Sibelius’ Karelia Suite, and Nielson’s Symphony No.4 ‘The Inextinguishable’. Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2 is said to mark his full recovery after a disastrous premier of his first piano concerto. It is described as a beautiful piece of virtuosic and lyrical music.

Sibelius’s Karelia Suite explores and celebrates the composer’s Finnish heritage and culture with its folk-based authenticity. Nielson’s Symphony No.4 is the most regularly performed of Nielson’s works. It includes a battle between two sets of timpani in the last movement amongst sweeping soundscapes and infectious melodies.

The concert will be conducted by Richard Howarth, who last conducted the orchestra in November 2021 when he was joined by soprano April Fredrick. He has had a distinguished career as a lead violinist and regularly conducts multiple orchestras across North West England, including Sale Chamber Orchestra and Manchester Sinfonia.