Anna Seda is a Boston-based cellist whose work bridges multiple traditions; her artistry reflects both conservatory training and immersion in traditional music. She studied with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Takács Quartet, apprenticed with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, and was a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival through the University of Colorado Boulder. Equally influential have been her connections to folk traditions, through Natalie Haas, Abby Newton, and Jay Ungar’s Ashokan Center, along with her regular participation in Boston’s Scottish session community. This dual grounding has led to her ongoing performance-musicology interest in the cello’s role in traditional Scottish music, including research at the National Library of Scotland.

In 2013-2014 she undertook a sabbatical in Cusco, Peru, where she taught at a local music school, performed at the Bienal de Violoncello in Lima, and fundraised to provide children’s fractional-sized cellos for students in the program. 

Her formation as a historically informed musician developed through work with the American Romantics Orchestra, where she collaborated with members on salon-style arrangements exploring early Romantic repertoire in dialogue with period practice. 

Alongside performing, Anna shares her work online as @doescellothingz on TikTok, where she participates in the Creator Fund and has partnered with brands including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Tomplay Digital Sheet Music. She has also developed a core skill set in arts administration, beginning with a development internship at Emanuel Music, later serving as executive assistant to Grammy-winning cellist Mike Block, and now takes a title as a musician co-owner of Groupmuse, a cooperative that brings chamber music into community spaces worldwide. In 2024 she received a Massachusetts Grants for Creative Individuals award and subsequently served as a reviewer for the program.

Seda holds cello degrees from the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Denver, and the Boston Conservatory. She performs on two 18th-century English cellos, one in Baroque setup and one modernized, as well as a five-string carbon-fiber cello for more experimental and communal settings.