Her voice a transparent gossamer of silk. Hers is an instrument that can shape sound and syllable, making it the messenger of every articulation whether it is a whisper, an ululation or a prance on the edge of a scream.

-All about Jazz (USA)

Sissel Vera Pettersen is a multifaceted artist. She is a sound improvisor and composer who fuses highly creative vocal techniques with live electronic processing, and is also a brilliant sax player. Her diverse recorded work can be heard in over 35 international CD releases and she has toured all over Europe, in the USA, Canada, the Middle East and Africa. She is the artistic director of acclaimed Norwegian vocal ensemble Trondheim Voices, and has collaborated with musicians and artists including Chick Corea, Marilyn Mazur, Lionel Loueke, Marc Ducret, Jon Balke, Toumani Diabate, John Hollenbeck, Theo Bleckmann Christian Wallumrød, Terje Isungset, Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, Maja Ratkje,  Jaromir Honzak and Nikolaj Hess. Pettersen has been nominated three times for the Danish Music Awards Jazz, and has received a number of awards and accolades for her music. She regularly collaborates within contemporary dance and theatre, both as a performer, composer and musician, and she is also a visual artist, exhibiting paintings and graphic prints.

Capable of producing sustained lines of the utmost purity, wild ululations and the occasional melodic line that simply disappears off the treble clef, Pettersen's voice is an instrument of extraordinary flexibility. ...one of those powerful emotional jolts that really stirs the soul.

-The Arts Desk (UK)