Ingfrid Breie Nyhus (b 1978) is a Norwegian pianist and composer. Her work focuses on contemporary and compositional/improvisational practices, often intertwining elements from folk, contemporary and classical traditions.

She grew up in a folk music family, with the pols tradition from her father Sven Nyhus, and she made classical piano studies in Norway, Finland and Germany. She has worked extensively with classical and contemporary solo and chamber repertoire. Her work involves composition and improvisation, solo and in groups. In her music Slåttepiano, she recreates the sounds and forms of Norwegian slått traditions into a pianistic improvisatory world, a project that has received international acclaim.

Critics early described her as ”a virtuoso of timbre”, with “luscious touch and rich nuances”, being among the new generation of pianists “who really have something on their heart». She has received several prizes for her performances and recordings, such as The Norwegian Soloist Prize 2005. The recording ‘Grieg Peasant Dances op.72’ was nominated for the Norwegian Grammy Spellemannprisen and awarded “Record of the Year” by the Great Britain Grieg Society in 2007, the album “Hardanger Fiddle in Art Music” was nominated for the Norwegian Grammy 2016, the album “Slåttepiano” was nominated for the Norwegian folk music award Folkelarmprisen 2016, and for the album “Slåttepiano II” she was nominated for the Norwegian Grammy Composer Award and Folkelarmprisen. The album “Unmna” together with Anne Hytta and Unni Løvlid won the Norwegian Grammy 2022 for contemporary music. Slåttepiano II was awarded “Work of the Year” from the Norwegian Society of Composers 2022.

Ingfrid Breie Nyhus regularly performs at folk, classical, contemporary and jazz festivals and scenes internationally. Venues include the Bergen International Festival, Risør Chamber Music Festival, Ultima Festival, Punkt Festival, FolkBaltica Festival (DK/DE), Førde International Folk Festival, Donaueschinger Festspiele (DE), Dark Music Days Reykjavik (IS), Umeå Jazz festival (SE), Copenhagen Jazz Festival (DK), ParmaJazz Frontiere Festival (IT), AngelicA Festival (IT), Lillenorge Berlin (DE), King’s Place London (GB), Meidään Festivaali (FI), Bebersee Soireen (DE), Nordic Music Festival (DE), Theater am Spittelberg Wien (AU), the Hardanger Festival, Ilios Festival, Grønland Chamber Music Festival, Avgarde, Sandvika Master Series, Arctic Arts Festival, and many more. She has appeared as soloist with orchestras such as the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, The Norwegian Radio Orchestra, the Trondheim Soloists, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra and more, in classical and contemporary works.

Ingfrid Breie Nyhus holds a Ph. D in artistic research, by the project “A Play with Traditions, interpreting and performing between folk and pianism“, and she is currently active as researcher and Deputy director of CEMPE at the Norwegian Academy of Music, as well as doing artistic research in the project (un)Romantic – Improvising interpretation. She has been artistic director of the Winter Chamber Music Festival in Røros, and she directs the record company LabLabel.