The Laufey Foundation Is Helping Young Musicians Shine
Laufey isn’t just making music—she’s making a movement. In just a few years, she’s taken jazz and classical sounds and spun them into something fresh, relatable, and wildly captivating. Her unique style has brought timeless genres into the playlists of Gen-Z, proving that music with depth and soul can still steal the spotlight. Now, after winning a Grammy and conquering stages around the world, she’s turning her success into something bigger: a chance for the next generation to rise with her.
Laufey’s love for music came naturally, thanks to her maternal grandfather, Lin Yaoji, a renowned violin educator at the Central Conservatory of Music in China. She began playing the piano at four and picked up the cello at eight, training rigorously and performing as a soloist with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra by her teens. Now a Grammy Award-winning artist and global sensation, Laufey has remained grounded in the musical roots she’s nurtured since childhood. From a young age, she was honing her craft, and now, after years of dedication, she’s making her mark as a bold new face in classical and jazz, revitalizing these genres in a pop-driven world.
But what sets Laufey apart isn’t just her talent, it’s her vision. She’s a classically trained musician who’s made it in pop, flipping expectations and redefining what it means to be an artist in the 21st century. She’s building jazz the way Taylor Swift changed pop and country—boldly, brilliantly, and unapologetically.
And now, she’s giving back.
Last week, Laufey announced the launch of The Laufey Foundation, a project dedicated to supporting young musicians who dream of following a similar path. The foundation will offer scholarships, access to youth orchestra programs, and other resources to help budding artists explore jazz and classical music—genres that too often get overlooked in mainstream funding. This year, the foundation will partner with The Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, The Youth Orchestra Los Angeles, and Carnegie Hall’s NYO2 and NYO Jazz ensembles —supporting their mission to create transformative opportunities for the next generation of artists.
For Laufey, this isn’t charity, it’s personal. These are the same opportunities that shaped her love for music, and now she wants to make sure they’re available to every talented young person out there, no matter their background. In a world where creativity often depends on access, The Laufey Foundation is opening doors and changing lives, making sure the next generation of musicians gets the spotlight they deserve.
