Ella Zirina

Ella Zirina (1997) is an Amsterdam-based jazz guitarist, composer, and bandleader from Latvia. Recognized as a “Rising Star” by NRC and named #1 Guitarist of the Year (Benelux) in the Gitarist.nl Poll Awards 2026, she is known for her distinctive approach to textures and for bringing new colors, perspective, and aesthetics to the instrument.

Zirina’s ascent in the Dutch jazz guitar scene has been nothing short of meteoric. After graduating with highest honors from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, she transitioned from student to educator and now teaches guitar in the jazz department at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. She has also been a guest teacher at institutions including Jazz Campus Basel in Switzerland and the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya in Barcelona, among others.

Ella is the bandleader of her trio, with whom she has performed across Europe in venues and festivals such as BIMHUIS, North Sea Jazz Festival 2024, Oslo Jazz Festival, Südtirol Jazz Festival and many others. From 2021 to 2023, Zirina was in residency at BIMHUIS as part of the “New Makers” talent development programme. During this period, she recorded her Edison Jazz Award-nominated debut album - Intertwined (March 2023) - featuring her trio alongside compositions for string quartet and appearances by saxophonist Tineke Postma on a few tunes. Since then, she has released three additional records under her name: the solo guitar album Unraveler (December 2023), Boundless Blue, Sunset Hue (October 2024), which features guest artists including Swedish saxophonist Otis Sandsjö, and a self-produced DIY EP, x mini x (November 2025).

Zirina was nominated for the 2024 Latvian Grand Music Award as Young Artist of the Year. She has presented her solo work at BIMHUIS, Klaeng Festival (2023), Jazz Granollers Festival in Catalonia, and VPRO (Vrije Geluiden), among others.

Her collaborations include some of the leading musicians in the Dutch and European jazz scene, such as Tineke Postma, Ben van Gelder, Jamie Peet, Jesse van Ruller, Reinier Baas, Pablo Held, Wolfert Brederode, Teis Semey, and Yuri Honing, among others. She has also appeared as a soloist with the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw and the Latvian Radio Big Band.

EPK HERE