Laura Ellestad

Laura Ellestad is a Hardanger fiddle player, researcher, and educator. She holds a BA in traditional music from the Ole Bull Academy (2012), an MA in performance with thesis from the Norwegian Academy of Music (2014), and a PhD in performance practice from the Norwegian Academy of Music (2023). Ellestad’s research draws on theory and methodology from the fields of ethnomusicology, anthropology, sociology, migration studies, cultural studies, performance studies, and media studies. Her research interests include investigating identity, ethnicity, migration, and gender issues through the lens of traditional/folk music, in both historical and contemporary perspectives. As an active folk music performer, she also integrates practice-based knowledge and perspectives into her research.