RISING YOUNG STAR SOLOIST TO JOIN CHESTER ORCHESTRA FOR CATHEDRAL CONCERT

Chester Philharmonic Orchestra is set to stage its first concert of 2026 with a member of the UK's best known family of classical musicians as its special guest soloist.

Featuring music by Elgar, Beethoven and Weber, the orchestra will stage the concert at Chester Cathedral on Saturday 28^th February at 7.30pm and will be joined by acclaimed cellist Mariatu Kanneh-Mason and renowned conductor Robert Guy. 

The concert will feature Mariatu Kanneh-Mason performing one of the most celebrated and moving works in the cello repertoire, Sir Edward Elgar's Cello Concerto. Written in the aftermath of the First World War, the Concerto, often regarded as Elgar's musical farewell, is described as being filled with longing, dignity and introspection rather than celebration.

Written by Elgar in 1919, the Concerto didn't achieve widespread popularity until the 1960s, when a key recording made by EMI in 1965 with Jacqueline du Pré as soloist and the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir John Barbirolli caught the public imagination and it became a classical best-seller. Since then there have been more than seventy recordings issued with soloists including Pierre Fournier, Mstislav Rostropovich, Heinrich Schiff, Yo-Yo Ma, Antonio Meneses and Mariatu's brother, Sheku Kanneh-Mason.

Chester Philharmonic Orchestra will also feature the Overture to the opera 'Der Freischütz' by Carl Maria von Weber which received its premiere in 1821 at the Royal Playhouse in Berlin, and Beethoven's celebrated Symphony No.3 - Eroica. Composed between 1803 and 1804, Eroica broke boundaries in symphonic form, length, harmony, emotional and cultural content. It is widely considered a landmark in the transition between the Classical and the Romantic era. Beethoven first conducted a private performance in 1804, with the first public performance taking place in 1805.

Joining Chester Philharmonic Orchestra as guest soloist, Mariatu Kanneh-Mason is sixteen years old and attends Trinity Catholic School in Nottingham. She studies cello and piano at the Junior Royal Academy of Music. At age 10, she gained Grade 8 distinction on cello and has a piano diploma distinction (ARSM). Mariatu has performed with the Kanneh-Masons in a series of concerts around the UK, Europe, Australia, USA, Canada and in Antigua and Barbuda. With the Kanneh-Masons, Mariatu performed at The Royal Albert Hall for the 2021 BBC Proms, and with her siblings for the then Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall in March 2017. Other highlights include a Kanneh-Mason concert at St Johns Smith Square, Cheltenham Literary Festival, The Barbican, Nottingham’s Royal Concert Hall, and Birmingham Symphony Hall. She mostly recently performed Elgar's Cello Concerto with the North Downs Sinfonia and Orpington Symphony Orchestra in 2025. 

In addition to her numerous performances on the concert platform, Mariatu has appeared on several television and radio programmes including BBC World Service, Channel 4, BBC 1 The One Show and the BBC4 documentary, Young, Gifted and Classical,  The Royal Variety Performance (ITV), Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1), The BBC Proms (BBC2 and BBC4), and the Imagine documentary for BBC1, This House is Full of Music. She also featured in Christmas With the Kanneh-Masons (BBC1) and The Hills Are Alive With the Kanneh-Masons for BBC2.

The orchestra's guest conductor Robert Guy hails from Wrexham. Born with severe hearing loss, Robert didn’t hear birdsong until after a life-changing operation as a child. Now, as an internationally recognised conductor, he transforms that early silence into powerful, electrifying performances. From his early days as a professional freelance viola player working with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Opera North and the Allegri String Quartet, to standing on the podium with world-class ensembles, he has built a career defined by bold leadership, relentless energy, and a belief that music can transform lives. He has conducted concert broadcasts for Classic FM and the BBC, and has led orchestras and choirs from London's West End to Hong Kong, Austria and Kazakhstan. Robert has worked with orchestras such as the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Kosovo Philharmonic, and the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong. Robert is Principal Conductor of the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Co-Founder of NEW Sinfonia in North Wales and a keen advocate for new music, as demonstrated in the acclaimed ‘Gresford: Up From Underground’ - a community opera composed by his brother Jon Guy, which continues to engage thousands and honour Welsh heritage in a groundbreaking way.

Speaking about the concert, Diana Anderson, the Chair of Chester Philharmonic said:

"We are delighted to welcome Mariatu Kanneh-Mason as our soloist. One of the most compelling cellists of her generation, Mariatu is celebrated for her rich tone, sensitivity and expressive storytelling. She has performed on stages across the UK and internationally, and her interpretations are praised for their warmth, insight and emotional clarity — qualities perfectly suited to Elgar’s deeply moving and iconic masterpiece. We are also looking forward to working with acclaimed conductor Robert Guy who brings a wealth of experience as an internationally renowned conductor. "

Full details of Chester Philharmonic Orchestra's first concert of 2026 at Chester Cathedral can be found at: 

www.chesterphilorchestra.co.uk 

...where tickets can be booked online.

Tickets can also be booked in person at the Chester Cathedral Box Office.