Ingrid Hagel

Jazz Violinist · Vocalist · Composer

Soundpainter — exploring freedom and color through improvisation.

Ingrid Hagel is an Estonian jazz violinist, vocalist, improviser and composer whose musical world moves between contemporary jazz, atmospheric soundscapes and rhythm-driven improvisation.

With a background in classical violin and jazz studies at the Estonian Academy of Music and the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen, Ingrid has developed a distinctive musical voice that combines the expressive possibilities of violin and voice with a deep sense of melody, rhythm and space.

Inspired by Estonian nature, folk melodies and the freedom of improvisation, her music explores contrasts between intimacy and energy, structure and spontaneity, silence and sound. Her artistic work ranges from groove-based jazz ensemble performances to more intimate musical dialogues and atmospheric, exploratory compositions.

Throughout her career, Ingrid has released five albums and collaborated with musicians from different musical backgrounds. Her album Tharapita (2014), featuring Marilyn Mazur, Makiko Hirabayashi and Klavs Hovman, received a “Highly Recommended” review from All About Jazz. Her more recent album, Our Wonderful Lives (2025), presents her original music with the Ingrid Hagel Quartet.

Today, Ingrid continues to develop her own compositions and collaborative projects, including her quartet and the duo Shadow and Light with double bassist Ara Yaralyan. Across these different settings, her music is guided by curiosity, emotional expression and the search for an honest, personal sound.

For Ingrid, improvisation is more than a musical language — it is a way of listening, discovering and creating something that exists only in the moment.