Ellen Ugelvik concentrates on developing and performing new projects in cooperation with contemporary composers and artists. Ugelvik works as a soloist and chamber musician in Europe, USA and Asia. She has been invited to festivals such as Donaueschinger Musiktage, Internationalen Ferienkurse für Neue Musik Darmstadt, Tasten – Berliner Klaviertage, and Huddersfield contemporary music festival.

She collaborates with composers like Helmut Lachenmann, Carola Bauckholt, Simon Løffler, Simon Steen-Andersen, Mathias Spahlinger, Michelle Lou, Kristine Tjøgersen, Trond Reinholdtsen, Christian Blom and Øyvind Torvund.

Ugelvik has performed as a soloist with the most important orchestras and ensembles in Norway in addition to international ensembles such as Klangforum Wien and Prague Music Performance Orchestra. She is a member of the ensembles asamisimasa and Jagerflygel.

Her commitment to contemporary music is widely recognised. She was acclaimed »Performer of the year 2016« by The Norwegian Society of Composers. In the periods 2008–2011 and 2017–2020 she received a state grant for performing artists. Ugelvik completed a performative Ph.d. project at the Norwegian Academy of Music in 2017 premiering five new piano concerti. From 2019–2024 she lead the research project »Performing Precarity« in cooperation with international artists, composers and institutions.

Ellen Ugelvik is employed as leader of the NordART center for Artistic Research at the Norwegian Academy of Music besides her work as a freelance pianist.