Biography

Elena began playing the harp at the age of 5 and obtained her first musical degree at the Conservatory of Angers (France). In 2010, she was unanimously awarded first prize at the French contest in Limoges ("Concours Français de la Harpe").

Alongside her musical studies, in 2011 she obtained a Bachelor's degree in modern literature and cinema from the Catholic University of the West (France). She is involved in various cultural projects in her town, including being a member of the student jury for the “Premiers Plans” film festival, contributing to the soundtrack of a film (“Une ombre à sa fenêtre”) and acting in a theatrical creation (“Le prétexte”).

Elena went on to pursue advanced studies in music at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels (Belgium) in Annie Lavoisier's class, where she graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor's degree in performance. She then studied with Godelieve Schrama at the Hochschule für Musik in Detmold (Germany), where she obtained a double Master's degree in solo and orchestral performance in 2017, followed by a Master's degree in instrumental pedagogy in 2020. She has also studied with Germaine Lorenzini (honorary harpist with the National Orchestra of Lyon) for many years.

Elena performs with various chamber music ensembles (Duo flute and harp, Duo soprano and harp, Trio flute, alto and harp) and orchestras, which have led her to travel extensively. She has performed twice with the Orchestre de la Francophonie in Quebec, and at the Rheingau Musik Festival and Young Euro Classic festivals with the Cuban-European Youth Academy Orchestra (Germany). Elena performs regularly with Quebec orchestras and ensembles (Orchestre Symphonique de Sherbrooke, Sinfonia de Lanaudière, SMCQ, Festival Classica, etc.).

A passionate teacher for many years, Elena passes on her passion to harp students of all ages and levels, both in music schools and private lessons. She regularly offers educational concerts, children's shows and instrument presentations. Particularly concerned with the accessibility of music education to all audiences, she is currently completing a Doctorate in music education at Laval University (Québec) under the supervision of Jonathan Bolduc, to develop pedagogical tools for teaching the harp to children with motor coordination disorders. She has also written a harp learning method for beginners, which will be available shortly.