Elina Kasesalu is an Estonian violinist, singer, and composer currently based on the west coast of Denmark. She began her musical journey in classical music, later moving into traditional music, and now draws inspiration from a variety of genres.
Her work is rooted in a deep curiosity about presence, language, connection, and borders – both musical and cultural. Through composing and performing, she explores ways of connecting across languages and backgrounds, creating spaces where musicians and listeners can meet in the present moment.
For Elina, creating music is a way of reflection on her life and surroundings. She is inspired by authenticity and meaningful interaction, drawn to simplicity and openness, strong intention, and storytelling – often inspired by the poetic imagery found in Estonian traditional song texts.
She has studied music in Estonia, Sweden, and Portugal, and is currently studying in Denmark at the Contemporary Creative Artist solist programme at the Syddansk Musikkonservatorium. Alongside her artistic work, Elina is an active teacher, working in solo and ensemble contexts and within international Ethno projects, as well as actively performing with the bands Salu and Leik and collaborating with other performance artists across a range of projects.
Her debut album All was written in Portugal in 2021 and recorded with musicians across Europe. Her current work often draws on traditional song texts from her home region near Tartu, using them as a starting point for new compositions.
A recurring question in her practice is how music and language interact: how to carry Estonian texts into new cultural contexts, and whether music itself can transcend the need for translation.
At the heart of her work is a wish to create a space where listeners can feel present, curious, and connected – to themselves, to others, and to the world around them.
Education:
2025 – … Contemporary Creative Artist Solist degree in the Danish National Academy of Music
2023-2025 Master’s degree in folk music in the Danish National Academy of Music
2021 – Erasmus + internship in Porto, Portugal
2018-2019 Erasmus+ exchange in The Academy of Music and Drama, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
2016-2021 Bachelor´s degree in folk music in University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy