Inessa Green (born 1988) is a Tallinn-born Estonian composer and pianist. Her musical journey began at the Tallinn Music High School in the piano class of Mati Mikalai, where she graduated in 2007. She subsequently earned her Bachelor’s degree at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (also under the guidance of Mati Mikalai) and a Master’s degree from the Karlsruhe University of Music under Kalle Randalu. It was during her time in Karlsruhe that she began to explore other genres alongside classical piano, taking jazz lessons with Kristjan Randalu and improvisation classes with Joachim Krebs.
Inessa’s creative range is broad, spanning from media technology to archaic folk music. A significant part of her work involves reinterpreting Estonian folk traditions and regilaul (runic song) in a contemporary key. Together with percussionist Bodek Janke, she founded the ensemble Quo Vadis (Latin for “Where are you going?”), with whom she has recorded several works based on runic songs and released a joint CD in 2017. Inessa is fascinated by the monotonous and mantra-like nature of runic song, aiming to achieve catharsis through repetition and to breathe new life into ancient myths.
As a composer, her influences include minimalists such as Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and Terry Riley. As a native of Tallinn, she also feels a natural and deep connection to Arvo Pärt’s tintinnabuli style, as well as the works of Erkki-Sven Tüür and Urmas Sisask. Her music is characterized by an enchanting and untouched atmosphere where rhythm and harmony often evolve while the melody remains constant—a memorable and soul-soothing mantra.