“..one of Europe’s most pioneering contemporary jazz guitarists.” – Marlbank, UK
“Extreme beauty.” – DownBeat, US
Danish guitarist and composer Mikkel Ploug (b.1978) has established himself on the international jazz scene with extensive tours in more than 25 countries, 18 releases on renowned record labels from the USA to Europe. Ploug’s solo album Balcony Lullabies was recommended by Rolling Stone Magazine and named “Best Jazz Album of the Year 2020” by British newspaper Morning Star. His album Faroe was pre-qualified for the Grammy Awards in 2018.
Mikkel has performed as a soloist in a wide range of settings, including with the Royal Danish Ballet and the DR Big Band, and has collaborated with prominent musicians and artists such as Grawemeyer Award winning composer Bent Sørensen (who composed a guitar fantasy for Mikkel), saxophonist Mark Turner, and choreographer Tilman O’Donnell. Mikkel is frequently featured in guitar publications such as Fretboard Journal (USA), Akustik Gitarre (Germany), and the Danish Guitar Society’s magazine.
“Mikkel Ploug is the latest sensation in the European jazz guitar scene, with a personal voice and sound that sings.” – La Vanguardia, ES
“…some of the most beautiful and unexpected solo guitar music one might wish to hear.” – WholeNote Magazine, Canada
Performances:
Brazil, USA, Canada, China, Israel, Ireland, Spain, Belgium, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Holland, England, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Slovakia, Poland, Italy, Switzerland, Russia, Faroe Islands. Mikkel has appeared at Rochester Jazz Festival (New York), Vancouver Jazzfestival (Canada) Strasbourg Jazzfestival (France) Jazz D’Nevers (France) Elb Jazz Festival (Hamburg), Savassi Festival Belo Horizonte, Northsea Festival The Hague, Brey Jazzfestival, Copenhagen Jazzfestival, Spalicek Festival, United Islands Prague, Musik i Lejet. and at clubs like Bimhuis Pizza Express (London) Jamboree (Barcelona), Sunset (Paris), A-Trane (Berlin), Unterfahrt (Munchen) Oslo Nasjonalscene (Oslo) Jazzhouse (Copenhagen) Moods (Zurich) and many more.
Performed as a leader and sideman with:
Mark Turner, Loren Stillman, Mona Matbou Riahi, Bill McHenry, Theo Bleckman, Tommy Crane, Joachim Badenhorst, Sissel Vera Pettersen, Jeppe Skovbakke, Marlon Browden, Sean Carpio, Kresten Osgood, Anders Christensen, Kenny Wheeler, Eivind Opsvik, Robin Fincker, Simon Jermyn, Jonas Westergaard, Robert Stillman (The Smile), and many more.
Teaching:
Mikkel lectures jazz guitar at University of the Arts in Zurich from September 2025. He has worked as an external expert for master exams at University of Basel and in Luzern. He has taught as a main subject teacher at RMC in Copenhagen, Syddansk Conservatory Odense and Esbjerg and taught workshops all over Europe.
Lectures:
Mikkel gives lecture on harmonies in human speech.
Education:
Mikkel received his master from the royal conservatory of the hague in 2005 and was awarded a distinction for his original compositions. Mikkel originally started out on drums at the age of four before changing to guitar at twelve.
Various:
Performed dance and music duo-piece “In Some Sense” with choreographer Tilman O’Donnell in Berlin, Stockholm, Basel and Copenhagen. Board of direction Jazz Danmark, Lecture at Conference for Danish Venues, Support for Wayne Shorter Group
PRESS:
“An original voice with something to say…” – Bud Kopmann – All About Jazz (US)
“Masterclass – The danish guitarist Mikkel Ploug is on the way into to the champions league of contemporary jazz” – Alex Schmitz – Jazzpodium (DE)
“Mikkel Ploug’s compositions are gorgeous. “Chords” [another Ploug composition] leaves me breathless.” – RVAJazz (US)
“Music this free and also this beautiful is a rare gem and it just keeps getting better with every listen” – The Province (CA)
“stunning ambience” – All About Jazz (US)
”unique work by this European trio” – Will Layman US national public radio, Popmatters/Jazztoday (US)
“Magnificent modernism” – Politiken (DK)
”musical medicin” – Dagsavisen (NO)
“deeply forceful” – All About Jazz (US)
“…great originality and elegance.”- Downtown Music Gallery, (US)
“Equilibrium is a largely successful and highly unusual collaboration” – Tim Clark – Luna Kafe
“….tyngdlösa tillstånd av vackra, mjuka rörelse” – Johan Scherwin – Lira SE
“As time has passed, Ploug’s melodic gift has become clearer” – Jakob Bækgaard – All About Jazz (US)
“Harmoniehof” … further illuminates his tightly knit band.” – Mark F Turner – All About Jazz (US)
Aside from their very real talent and a defined sound, this group is also interesting in being an unselfconscious meeting of contemporary European and American jazz musicians which, outside the perilous world of touring soloists and pick-up bands, is a pretty rare commodity in jazz – Cormac Larkin – National Irish Tribune (IE)
“Guitarist Mikkel Ploug’s star has been ascending—not only in his native Denmark, but also in various overlapping international jazz circles.” – Elliott Simon – All About Jazz (US)
“Mikkel Ploug has been slowly, but surely, building a reputation for himself, and deservedly so. His live performances speak for themselves – Jerry D’Souza – All About Jazz (US)
“As time has passed, Ploug’s melodic gift has become clearer” – Jakob Bækgaard All About Jazz (US)
”Mikkel Ploug var (…) absolut stimulerende og en (ung) mand, man skal regne med, der både indeholdte en særegen, melodisk dybde og et stort kryptisk og solistisk pulserende hjerte”- Jakob Østergaard Nielsen – Gaffa (DK)
”Plougs musik er… særdeles personlig i hans helt naturligt melodiske kompositione” – Jørgen Siegumfeldt – Jazzspecial (DK)
“One of Europes most talented young jazz musicians…. “ – Emma Power – Evening Echo (IE)
”Mikkel Ploug er næste skud på stammen af store jazzguitarister”- New Note Jazzfestival (DK)
“Ploug also impresses with melodies that do not become clichéd” – Elliott Simon – All About Jazz (US)
“Et nyt guitar talent stormer frem med en indtagende udgivelse som rygstød” – Cim Meyer – Jazzspecial (DK)
“Moden og interessant pladedebut fra den unge danske guitarist … på egne præmisser – skaber Ploug og co. en musik, der udfordrer og forfrisker ved sine komplekse koder, sin energi og sin svævende melodiske fornemmelse” – Christian Munch Hansen – Information (DK)
“Gruppen fortjener pladeselskabets kvalitetsstempel og omvendt er en plade som denne med til at konsolidere Fresh Sound New Talent’s ry.” – Jakob Bækgaard – Geiger (DK)
“… men samtidig bidrager Ploug her med noget nyt og andet og træder gedigent i karakter med sine dristige og originale kompositioner, der i hvert fald får den lysende, danske jazzeng til at småskælve og endnu en gang invitere til høst, plov og pløjning.” – Jakob Østergaard Nielsen – Jazzspecial (DK)
“A highly individual sound… A thoroughly enjoyable affair.”
Concerto Magazine
“”Ploug is part of a generation of guitarists who absorbed as much from Radiohead as they did from Bill Frisell, so while there is all the openness and adventure of an improviser with his own distinctive language, it is informed by a more rugged, indie-rock sensibility, driven forward by Carpio’s subtle, ever-changing grooves.”
★★★★ The Irish Times
“In all the band’s music there is a refreshing lack of interest in showing off technique with the focus resolutely on making good music, with simplicity or complexity neither here nor there. It’s a really lovely listen.”
The Jazz Breakfast
“Recorded last year in intimate circumstances at Black Tornado Studios in Copenhagen, the location lending its name to the album title, the material is largely Ploug tunes, easily digestible in the main, at their best when the tidiness of the writing gives way to a sprawling spilling out beyond the bridge, a Nordic Americana the flavor.”
Marlbank
“The music is deserving of the widest possible audience.”
Bebop Spoken Here
“Appeals to a wider audience which will give them the greater exposure and recognition that they deserve.”
Sandy Brown Jazz Reviews
“Guitarist Ploug’s trio session has a talkative style that’s plenty charismatic… rich textures and sharp melodicism keep the ear riveted throughout… occasional flourishes of folk-rock are a nice touch.”
Bird Is The Worm
“A Danish guitarist with a sound partly reminiscent of Mark Ribot, his country-blues-ish twang is written all over this likeable, long-standing trio recording of his originals.”
Jazz Times
“The trio sounds as natural in the studio as on the live stage.”
Medien-Info
”A highly individual sound… the maximum economy executed without any note gluttony… A thoroughly enjoyable affair.”
Glicka
“Everything flows and as a result of a decade of existence of the trio is perfectly interlocked. Ploug has been one of the favorites of guitar nerds and certain magazines, now he should also be perceived beyond.”
Leipziger Volkszeitung
“Definitely worth listening to for people who think they have heard everything.”
Musik Reviews
” Presents the fun, commonality and connection in groove of the three musicians who have toured extensively as a unit the last decade on jazz stages worldwide.”
Rheinmain Magazine
”Mikkel Ploug from Copenhagen plays a nimble guitar, semi-acoustic, Gibson, vintage look. And this vintage impression runs pleasantly through the whole album recorded together with bassist Jeppe Skovbakke and Sean Carpio on drums.”
Sound And Image
“Quiet, prudent and careful, very harmonious and relaxed… much elegance is on broadcast… independent and original.”
Musik An Sich
”A unique album.”
Nachrichten
“It’s rare to hear a trio where the acoustic bass pulsates with such warmth, drums play so unpretentiously and refined yet at the same time with such strong rhythm, and guitar plays with such grace.”
Saarbrücker Zeitung
”Music full of inspiration and self-confidence.”
Sol (DE)
”An emotional trip.”
HiFi & Records
“Vibrant, interesting music.”
Jazz NYT Blog (DK)