Jacob Shaw (musician)

Jacob Shaw (born 1988) is a classical cellist. He directs the non-profit organisation Scandinavian Cello School.

Born in London in 1988 into a family of professional musicians, he first studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey, before going to France to receive musical guidance from and entering into the class of Geneviève Teulières-Sommer at the École Normale de Musique de Paris. He became the youngest ever cellist in the history of the school to graduate with the Diplôme de Concertiste (Soloists Diploma) which he received with the "unanimous decision of the jury with congratulations", the highest honours available. Following a masters at the Leopold Mozart Zentrum (Augsburg University, Germany). Completed education on the soloists scheme at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, graduating 2014.

Shaw has given concerts across Europe, North America and Asia. His Carnegie Hall debut in January 2015 drew substantial attention and resulted in numerous North American bookings and signing his CD contract with New York-based international record label Roven Records. He has performed for numerous dignitaries and royalty across the world and is International Music Ambassador for Dulwich College International in Asia. He also dedicates a lot of his spare time to outreach projects, playing in hospitals, prisons, youth centers and has established "Radical Classic" as a way to get in touch with a new generation of classical music lovers. Shaw formed the Shaw String Trio with his father and sister, and in 2009, he founded with his family the Festival International de Musique de Chambre in south-west France in 2009. Especially dedicated to helping young cellists, in 2016 he founded the Scandinavian Cello School.

He played a cello made by Carlo Giuseppe Testore, kindly on loan to him from the Royal Danish Academy of Music. He also owns a cello made especially for him by the master luthier Patrick Robin in Angers (France), 2008, and a bow also made for him by Stephane Tomachot in Paris, 2002.

• 2006: Silver medal, David Popper International Competition, Hungary
• 2006: ASSOPHIE award for young soloists at the start of their careers (renewed in 2007 and 2008)
• 2007: Raphael Sommer Memorial Scholarship
• 2008: 1st prize and special prize, International "FLAME" Competition Paris, France
• 2008: Award from the Leopold Mozart Curatorium (in association with the Leopold Mozart International Violin Competition, Germany)
• 2008: Musicians Benevolent Fund Award for an exceptionally talented British Cellist
• 2009: Major award of the Natexis Bank (France) "Fondation Groupe Banque Populaire"
• 2010: 1st prize, Johann Andreas Stein Wettbewerb, Germany
• 2010: 3rd Grand Prix, Den Danske Stryger Konkurrence (Danish String Soloists Competition)
• 2011: Finalist, Suggia International Prize, Porto, Portugal
• 2011: Award "Virtuoso of the Future" from Swiss festival "Les Sommets du Classique"
• 2012: Major Award from the Harby Foundation (44,000 dollars)
• 2012: 1st Prize and special prize from the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra and re-invitation for following season, Den Danske Stryger Konkurrence (Danish String Soloists Competition)
• 2014: Invitation onto the Young Performers Career Advancement Program of APAP in the USA
• 2014: Deena Shypitka Award 2014 (Formerly Haverhill Sinfonia Competition)
• 2015: 5***** Review from Pizzicato editor for Debut 2-CD album

• "Jacob SHAW, violoncelle" (in French). Banque Populaire. Retrieved 22 May 2011. 
• "Fünf Juroren, sechs Kandidaten" (in German). Augsburger Allgemeine. 9 July 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2011. 

Live in Festival International de Musique de Chambre en Charente (2012 - private)

DEBUT (2015 - Roven Records)

From the Old World to the New (2016 - Divine Art)