Mother's Day 2026

Mother’s 2026 is Sunday, May 10! It’s a lovely opportunity to honor Mom, and anyone in your genetic/chosen family who has loved, nurtured, supported you with care and compassion. Many members of our Classical California listening family have shared stories about their moms and mother figures instilling a love of classical music when they were kids by playing music at home, taking in live performances and providing music lessons. These are all acts of love and today let’s say thank you! And to share that love, we’ll visit with some amazing Musical Moms and their families.

It is probably fair to say that the children of Britain’s foremost modern musical family, the Kanneh-Masons, would readily give a fair amount of credit to their mom, Dr. Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason, for their successes. Kadiatu is a former lecturer in English at The University of Birmingham, and her memoir, House of Music: Raising the Kanneh-Masons, won the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Storytelling Award in November 2021 where it was described as ‘a fresh, moving account of raising children and nurturing their creativity. It captures what’s sincerely human in classical music-making.’

Kadiatu and her husband Stuart were given a Lifetime Award for Contribution to Children’s Arts at the 2018 J.M. Barrie Awards and in February 2022, on behalf of the family, they collected the prestigious ABO Award for commitment and inspiration given to other aspiring young musicians and fellow parents. Kadiatu was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of The Royal Academy of Music in 2022, and in 2023 she received the ISM Distinguished Musician Award.

One of the most asked questions regarding the nurturing of such a talented brood is, “did you have to force them practice?” Kadiatu confides. “I think there is an idea that classical music is somehow a really painful torturous thing that no one would do unless they were forced to do it. If the boys were famous footballers, no one would ask ‘did you force them to kick a ball?’”

She continues: “The idea that classical music is a joyous thing and is fun to do would be nice for everyone to know! I know it’s hard work and you have to practice, but you have to practice for anything you do to be successful in it.”

Here is a peak into the lives of Britain’s First family of Music, at their home in Nottingham.

Next, we’ll say Happy Mother’s Day to a mom who gave her budding young musician son the earliest start of all! Jonathan Biss was born into a family of musicians. His paternal grandmother was one of the first well-known female cellists, the Russian cellist Raya Garbousova, for whom Samuel Barber wrote his cello concerto in 1946. Jonathan is very proud of his first concert “appearance”, making his professional debut as a fetus, when his visibly pregnant mother, Miriam Fried, played the Mozart Violin Concerto in A Major with the Cleveland Orchestra under Lorin Maazel!

Here is a video of Jonathan and Miriam working together. Mother and Son teaching a masterclass to young violinists and pianists at the Jerusalem Music Center.

Another wonderful Mother’s Day example of musical partnerships of moms and their kids is violinist Zina Schiff and her daughter, conductor Avlana Eisenberg. Most moms might not be as amenable to taking directions from their kids, more typically it’s the other way around! But Zina and Avlana have a positive working relationship as evidenced in a recording project with the Scottish National Orchestra featuring the music of American composer William Grant Still. Here is the mother/daughter duo discussing the genesis of this ground-breaking recording. You’ll even hear excerpts of them performing together!

And if you moms reading this thought you might escape this article dry-eyed….our dear friend of Classical California, world-renowned mezzo soprano Frederica von Stade has two daughters, Jenny and Lisa Elkus, who have inherited their mother’s way around a song! On an album from 1996, Across Your Dreams; Frederica von Stade Sings Brubeck, Flicka and Jenny joined voices on a track that may become your next favorite lullaby to sing to your youngest music-makers!

If you and your mom share a special musical bond, please tell us your story in the comments. And Happy Mother’s Day, from all of us at Classical California!