Kadri Voorand is an Estonian singer-songwriter whose unique blend of traditional music, folk, jazz, and improvisational pop and unique storytelling abilities make her one of the most authentic live performers in Europe’s jazz scene today.

Hailing from a fishing village in Northern Estonia, on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, Kadri Voorand was born into a family of generations of traditional musicians and entertainers at village gatherings. From an early age, she was introduced to coastal folk traditions, studying classical piano by day and playing the fiddle by night.

After a childhood spent playing with folk musicians, arranging for her vocal a cappella group, and performing as a solo vocalist, she began her jazz vocal studies at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theater and continued her education at the Royal Swedish Music Academy. She has won nearly every award imaginable in Estonia, including four Estonian Music Awards, and collaborated with a range of internationally acclaimed musicians, including the renowned conductor and composer Kristjan Järvi and pop artists like NOËP.

She is the founding member, artistic director, and main composer of Estonian Voices, an acclaimed a cappella group whose two albums have each won an Estonian Music Award.

She has composed for the Grammy-winning Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, creating both the music and libretto for “Giving Myself to the Sea,” a piece inspired by Estonian legends and folk traditions, and is among the most performed contemporary composers at the Estonian Song and Dance Celebration. Since 2020, she has been signed to one of Europe’s most important jazz labels, ACT.

Kadri Voorand is a musical storyteller who likes to engage her listeners and make them a part of the performance, with Jazzwise describing her audiences “hanging on her every note”. Her highly engaging, ritualistic and intimate live shows, often alongside bassist Mihkel Mälgand, transcend language barriers and have led her to stages from the EFG London Jazz Festival to Pori Jazz and the most important jazz festival in China, the Beijing Nine Gates Jazz Festival.