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, Huddersfield contemporary music festival, Ultraschall, Steirischer Herbst, Tzlil Meudcan, Gaudeamus, Kammer Klang, Musikhøst, Rainy Days, ECLAT, De Suite Muziekweek, Angelica Festival, Kwadrofonik Festival, Nordic Music Days, Musik der Jahrhunderte; Südseite Nachts, Monday Evening Concerts, Risør festival of chamber music, Ultima contemporary music festival, Borealis, Happy Days and Ilios. 

She collaborates with composers like Helmut Lachenmann, Carola Bauckholt, Simon Løffler, Simon Steen-Andersen, Mathias Spahlinger, Michelle Lou, Olga Bochikhina, Vladimir Tarnopolski, Clemens Gadenstätter, Dai Fujikura, Kristine Tjøgersen, Therese Birkelund Ulvo, Trond Reinholdtsen, Christian Blom, Bente Leiknes Thorsen and Øyvind Torvund.

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, one of the most coveted awards in Norway. Ugelvik completed a research project at the Norwegian Academy of Music in 2017 focusing on the soloist's role in contemporary piano concerti. The project contained premieres of five new piano concerti. From 2019-2023 she leads a new research project Performing Precarity in cooperation with international artists, composers and institutions.

She has performed as a soloist with the most important orchestras and ensembles in Norway such as Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, The Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Oslo Sinfonietta, BIT20 Ensemble, Ensemble Allegria and Risør Chamber Orchestra 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 first solo album "Makrokosmos" was rewarded with the Norwegian Grammy. She also won two Norwegian Grammies with her ensemble asamisimasa for the albums ”Pretty sound” with music by Simon Steen-Andersen and "asamisimasa plays the music by Øyvind Torvund". A new CD is recently released with the piano concerto Just for You by Jan Erik Mikalsen with Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and conductor Eivind Gullberg Jensen.

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.