"Her voice a transparent gossamer of silk." Hers is an instrument that can shape sound and syllable, making it the messenger of every articulation whether it is a whisper, an ululation or a prance on the edge of a scream." -All about Jazz (USA)

Sissel Vera Pettersen is a multifaceted artist. She is a sound improvisor and composer who fuses highly creative vocal techniques with live electronic processing, and is also a brilliant sax player. Her diverse recorded work can be heard in over 50 international CD releases and she has toured all over Europe, in the USA, Canada, the Middle East and Africa. She was the artistic director of acclaimed Norwegian vocal ensemble Trondheim Voices from 2016-2025, and also works regularly with Trondheim Jazz Orchestra both as a singer and sax player. She has collaborated with artists including Chick Corea, Marilyn Mazur, Lionel Loueke, Marc Ducret, Jon Balke, Toumani Diabate, Django Bates, John Hollenbeck, Theo Bleckmann Christian Wallumrød, Terje Isungset, Tim Hagans, Helge Sten and Ståle Storløkken. Pettersen has been nominated several times for the Danish Music Awards and for the Norwegian Grammys, and won a Norwegian Grammy in 2022 with Trondheim Jazz Orchestra and Gurls. She regularly collaborates within contemporary dance and theatre, both as a performer, composer and musician, and she is also a visual artist, exhibiting paintings and graphic prints.

"Capable of producing sustained lines of the utmost purity, wild ululations and the occasional melodic line that simply disappears off the treble clef, Pettersen's voice is an instrument of extraordinary flexibility. ...one of those powerful emotional jolts that really stirs the soul." -The Arts Desk (UK)