Ellena has a wide ranging interest in musical forms and genres, and a particular interest in cross arts collaborations, such as performing with dancers, artists and actors. This particular interest has led to her creating her own collaboration with dancers from the Birmingham School of Acting, recently culminating in an evening concert where she not only performed the music with her chamber music ensembles, but also organised all of the rehearsals with the dancers and ran the project single handedly. From this Ellena hopes to continue working with other branches of the arts, with dancers, artists and actors. She is interested in a variety of music styles, and although specialising in classical music, also takes part in a number of jazz and contemporary music ensembles and projects.
Ellena has performed in numerous concerts in the UK , Europe and the USA. At a young age Ellena performed as a soloist and chamber ensemble musician in the concert series, ‘Classics by Candlelight’ (2005-2010) alongside Nicholas Daniels and Joy Farrell in her hometown in Cambridgeshire. Other concerts included shared recitals with the pianist Francesco Attesti, as well as performing as the featured soloist in 2012 with the International Youth Symphony Orchestra in San Diego. At this time she also was chosen for an internship at the Sunriver Music Festival in Oregon, where she worked closely with the orchestra and events staff. Ellena has also been chosen to represent Birmingham Conservatoire at the Le Cote Flute Festival in Switzerland, October 2016. This festival selects one flautist from each conservatoire, and here she will take part in a wide variety of masterclasses and activities with other emerging flautists from the UK.
Ellena has performed as principal flautist in CBSO Youth Orchestra and CBSO Youth Academy, Birmingham Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra, Thallein Ensemble, Birmingham Conservatoire Jazz Orchestra, and Shrewsbury Cantata. She has also played in orchestras such as the New Cambridge Symphony Orchestra and British Saints Symphony Choir and Orchestra. She was chosen to take part in the CBSO scheme in 2015, where she worked alongside players in the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, observing rehearsals and interacting with the musicians. She has performed in venues including Town Hall and Symphony Hall Birmingham, LSO St Luke's, Balboa Park Organ Pavillion San Diego, Escondido Performing Arts Centre California, and at the Summerfest in La Jolla, California.
Ellena began her musical studies under the tuition of Sarah O'Flynn, and then went on to study at the Junior Department of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in 2010 with a full scholarship. Here she studied with David Oliver, and took part in a number of masterclasses and concerts around London with the Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Choir.
Ellena Taylor is a first class honours graduate from Birmingham Conservatoire, studying with Jonathan Rimmer (flute) and Andrew Lane (piccolo). She is an artist who received for three consecutive years a scholarship from the EMI Bursary Fund.
Ellena has taken part in masterclasses with Robert Winn, Susan Milan, Karen Jones, Diane Clarke, Anthony Robb and Marie-Christine Zupanic. In 2016 Ellena performed in a masterclass to James Galway in the Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham.
