Ella Zirina – guitar, composition
Ton Felices – double bass
Eloi Pascual Nogue – drums
Ella Zirina (1997) is a jazz guitarist, composer and bandleader from Latvia based in Amsterdam (NL). Full of passion for the different textures and timbres of her instrument her compositions are built out of melodic improvisations, resulting in a personal and emotional sonic environment.
After studying piano until the age of 17, Ella switched to guitar studies, channeling her broad musical influences. Ella studied at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, from which she graduated with the highest honours (both B.A. &M.A.) having studied with Jesse van Ruller and Reinier Baas among others.
Ella has worked and performed with many talented musicians, such as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Joey Baron (by performing at North Sea Jazz Festival 2023 in the Netherlands), Tineke Postma, Ben van Gelder, Jesse van Ruller, Reinier Baas, Pablo Held, and big bands, like Jazz Orchestra of The Concertgebouw.
From the end of 2021 till the beginning of 2023, Zirina was in residency at BIMHUIS (Amsterdam) for ‘New Makers’ talent development project. Within this project she recorded her (Edisons Jazz Award nominated) debut studio album ‘Intertwined’ with her trio which features her work for a string quartet and renowned Dutch saxophonist Tineke Postma on a few tunes. Zirina released her second studio and a solo guitar album ‘Uraveler’ in December 2023.
The trio of the guitarist and composer Ella Zirina is steadily joining the forefront of Dutch Jazz Guitar scene. The trio adds double bass and drums into the mix to create rich and colorful compositions. With Ton Felices on double bass and Eloi Pascual on drums, they interweave their own musical characters with one another. The trio has performed in various venues and festivals in The Netherlands such as BIMHUIS, Amersfoort Jazz, and toured in Europe, like Festival Nigran Jazz 2022 (Spain), Oslo Jazz Festival 2023 (Norway). The Trio was awarded the first prize in the 7 Virtual Jazz Club Competition. In the words of the Virtual Jazz Competition jury: “Zirina is a guitar virtuosi with her own style. Her Gibson seems to be an extension of her persona. A lesson in how to develop an improvisation.”
