Vigdis Hansa Elst

Composer-singer Vigdis Hansa Elst studied classical composition at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Antwerpen with Wim Henderickx and Luc Vanhove. Today she combines her work in choral and chamber music with jazz ensembles. She investigates how her compositions can form the basis for improvisation and spontaneous interaction between musicians. With the VHE quartet she became a finalist in 2025 in the Crest Jazz Concours International jazz vocal and recorded her first album: Ruis. This debut album was recorded in December 2025 in the Oud Amerikaans Theater in Laeken. Together with top musicians Sylvain Debaisieux (tenor saxophone), Manolo Cabras (double bass), Joseph Nowell (piano), and Gaspard Sicx (drums) she brings these own compositions to a broader audience. Her music moves between stillness and explosive expression, with plenty of room for improvisation. In her poetic lyrics in English and Dutch, she explores themes such as listening, mourning, and letting go, causing the personal and universal to merge.