Anna Boysen Lauritsen takes up the role of director, while founder Jacob Shaw steps aside into the role of artistic director
Denmark’s Scandinavian Cello School (SCS) has announced changes in leadership, as it prepares for its ten-year anniversary in 2026.
Anna Boysen Lauritsen has been appointed as the new director, while founder Jacob Shaw will step aside into the role of artistic director. He will continue to teach and work closely with SCS, alongside his teaching commitments at Royal Northern College of Music and Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.
Boysen takes up the role having worked for the Copenhagen Phil, where she was responsible for fundraising, innovation and partnerships. She will be responsible for continuing SCS’s vision while opening new paths for strategic development and international collaboration.
Additionally, five experienced professionals will be appointed to the board of SCS in June 2025 to support the transition.
SCS is located on The Musical Farm - a self-sufficient micro-farm near the UNESCO World Heritage Site Stevns Klint, one hour south of Copenhagen. Each year, the school welcomes more than 150 young musicians from around the world, offering elite musical mentoring in a setting that blends artistic excellence with sustainability, personal development, and community engagement, with a special focus on mental health and work-life balance.
’What began as a simple idea – to rethink how to support young musicians – has grown into something truly special,’ commented Shaw. ’It’s been incredible to watch it grow into a place that means so much to so many. I’m proud of what we’ve built together, and with Anna leading the way and a strong new board on the horizon, I’m excited for everything the next decade will bring.’
’I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead the continued development of the Scandinavian Cello School along with Jacob and the new board-to-come,’ commented Boysen.
’I admire the school’s values and its holistic approach to talent development, where time spent working the land and being in nature is just as important as the many hours in the practice room. Over the next decade, we will be working towards a business model that allows us not only to continue our work with young musicians and the management of the small organic farm, but also to become a financially sustainable cultural institution supported by different revenue streams.’
SCS made global headlines with its cello concert for cows, landing on the front page of the New York Times in 2021 and reaching more than 2.1 billion people worldwide. Since then, it has continued to gain international acclaim for its radical approach to music education, producing prize-winning alumni and launching international collaborations.
A new documentary, supported by the Danish Film Institute and Creative Europe, will be released in 2026 by Good Company Pictures as part of the ten-year celebrations. With its unique mix of farming, music, and innovation, SCS aims to shape a bold new future for classical music.
The Strad’s staff writer Rita Fernandes spent a week with the SCS’s cello octet in preparation for its performance at the Vienna Philharmonic Ball in January 2024 - read her account here: Scandinavian Cello School: The road to Vienna
Read: ‘Deep investment in people goes far’: How the artist collective Ilumina creates a musical eco-system
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