
Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason was born in Nottingham in 1999 into a big musical family. He and his six siblings all grew up learning classical instruments and appeared on Britain’s Got Talent in 2015. Sheku first made his mark as a solo performer the following year, when he won the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. In 2018, a global audience of over one billion watched him perform live at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Since then, he has received two classical Brit awards and an MBE for services to music, and performed at the Proms every year since 2017. His book The Power of Music charts his creative journey, while his new album - his fifth release - includes recordings of works by Shostakovich and Britten.\n\nSheku talks to John Wilson about the early influence of his paternal grandfather, a classical music lover who encouraged an appreciation of chamber music, including Schubert's Trout Quintet. He also discusses his cellist heroes, Jacqueline du Pré and Mstislav Rostropovich, and explains how the music of reggae superstar Bob Marley has been an inspiration throughout his life.
Source: BBC 4
Mark Ronson
Musician Mark Ronson talks about his cultural influences.
28-02-2026
BBC 4
Juliette Binoche
Actor Juliette Binoche talks to John Wilson about the formative influences that shaped her career.
14-02-2026
BBC 4
Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend, songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of The Who, talks to John Wilson about his cultural influences.\n\nThe Who first stormed the pop charts in 1965 with teenage ...
30-01-2026
BBC 4
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson’s breakthrough television role in the sci-fi series The X-Files made her a global star in 1993, and she played cool-headed Agent Dana Scully for nearly a ...
02-10-2025
BBC 4
Series 1: 8. Evelyn Glennie
The world's leading classical solo percussionist Evelyn Glennie talks to John Wilson about her career and some of the key influences on her artistic path.\n\nFrom growing up in ...
20-07-2025
BBC 4
Sheku Kanneh-mason
Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason was born in Nottingham in 1999 into a big musical family. He and his six siblings all grew up learning classical instruments and appeared on Britain&r ...
22-06-2025
BBC 4
Abi Morgan
Screenwriter and playwright Abi Morgan has worked across a diverse array of themes and genres for more than 25 years. She wrote the television series The Split, a domestic drama ...
10-05-2025
BBC 4
Salman Rushdie
One of the world’s greatest novelists, Salman Rushdie has won many prestigious international literary awards and was knighted for services to literature in 2007. He won th ...
27-03-2025
BBC 4
Nile Rodgers
Nile Rodgers is one of the most successful and influential figures in popular music. As a songwriter, producer and arranger, he has enjoyed a 50-year career with his bands Chic ...
02-03-2025
BBC 4
Series 1: 1. Kenneth Branagh
Actor and film-maker Sir Kenneth Branagh talks to John Wilson about the key influences and inspirations that have shaped his own work. In a wide-ranging conversation, he reveals ...
06-02-2025
BBC 4
Series 1: 1. Kenneth Branagh
Actor and film-maker Sir Kenneth Branagh talks to John Wilson about the key influences and inspirations that have shaped his own work. In a wide-ranging conversation, he reveals ...
06-02-2025
BBC 4
Sheku Kanneh-mason
Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason was born in Nottingham in 1999 into a big musical family. He and his six siblings all grew up learning classical instruments and appeared on Britain&r ...
22-06-2025
BBC 4
Series 1: 3. Mike Leigh
Film director Mike Leigh talks to John Wilson about the art and experiences that have shaped his own creative life.\n\nLeigh recalls his early life in Salford and reveals how a ...
07-12-2021
BBC 4
Series 2: Judi Dench: Shakespeare Special
Dame Judi Dench talks to John Wilson about her biggest cultural influence: William Shakespeare.
27-11-2023
BBC 4
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson’s breakthrough television role in the sci-fi series The X-Files made her a global star in 1993, and she played cool-headed Agent Dana Scully for nearly a ...
02-10-2025
BBC 4
Series 1: 8. Evelyn Glennie
The world's leading classical solo percussionist Evelyn Glennie talks to John Wilson about her career and some of the key influences on her artistic path.\n\nFrom growing up in ...
20-07-2025
BBC 4
Juliette Binoche
Actor Juliette Binoche talks to John Wilson about the formative influences that shaped her career.
14-02-2026
BBC 4
Series 1: 4. Tracey Emin
Artist Tracey Emin talks to John Wilson about the experiences that have shaped her life and career.\n\nIn a deeply personal interview, Emin speaks about undergoing treatment for ...
12-12-2021
BBC 4
Michael Palin
Actor, comedian, presenter and writer Sir Michael Palin talks to John Wilson about his formative creative influences.
05-05-2024
BBC 4
Peter Kosminsky
Having started out as a current affairs journalist, Peter Kosminsky made his name by telling contemporary social and political stories in the form of television drama. Warriors ...
14-12-2024
BBC 4