Elena Durán

She was born in Oakland, CA, and both her parents are Mexican. One of her most formative influences was her grandmother from Aguascalientes, Soledad Muñoz, who took her to see Mexican movies every Friday night at the Star Cinema in Oakland. It was her who first introduced young Elena to music and movies made in México and inspired a love for her roots.

She studied at Mills College, but after a year she left this institution because she was offered the position of Flute Professor at Stanford University. After two years, by Jean Pierre Rampal advice, she left and auditioned for Aurele Nicolet's class at the Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg. It She was one from only two students accepted in an application for one hundred aspirants. For three years Nicolet and Andre Jaunet were her teachers. She then traveled to Berlin to study with James Galway, main flutist of the Berlin Philharmonic.

Her next challenge took her to London, where she spent two years as James Galway's assistant, editing his music and writing his book on the flute. After this, she began her career as a soloist flutist. Over the years, she has held different teaching positions, but her main focus has been playing flute in concerts and as a soloist with orchestra.

On several occasions she played for Queen Elizabeth II of United Kingdom and for all members of the British Royal Family and for several presidents. She has performed as soloist with over fifty orchestras in fifteen different countries and has given concerts all over the world. She has recorded a wide variety of music, from Bach, Delius and Moncayo to the music of the Beatles and Claude Bolling, including two jazz albums with the great Stephane Grappelli and a best-selling recording with Paul McCartney.

Durán was México City's Ambassador of Tourism and Culture. She has received several humanitarian awards for her work on the U.S.-Mexico border. With her personal outreach program Flauta sin fronteras she has brought music to thousands of people who would not normally be able to attend concerts, with special interest in people deprived of their freedom.