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ABOUT
Elena Ayodele Pinderhughes is an award winning flutist, vocalist, composer, and songwriter whose style seamlessly blends jazz, hip-hop, and R&B influences. She began her musical journey at a young age and has since established herself as a prominent figure in the contemporary jazz and R&B music scenes, performing and touring in venues and festivals throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, and South America. Described by The Guardian as the “most exciting and creatively assured jazz flutist to have emerged in years'', Elena has performed in venues and festivals including: Carnegie Hall, the White House, The Kennedy Center, Coachella Music Festival, and North Sea Jazz Festival.
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Elena was raised in the Bay Area, CA and moved to New York City to study flute and voice at The Manhattan School of Music. In New York, she began recording, touring and performing with artists in multiple genres including Herbie Hancock, Terrace Martin, Common, Chief Adjuah (formally Christian Scott), Robert Glasper, Josh Groban, Future and others. Most recently, Elena is featured on Terrace Martin’s album, "Fine Tune", Herbie Hancock’s upcoming album, Common’s album, “Black America Again”, Lupe Fiasco’s “Drogas Wave,” Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah’s album “Diaspora”, and Terri Lyne Carrington’s Grammy Winning album “New Standards” as well as many others. She will be releasing her debut album this year. Performing with a range of musicians, as well as with her own group, Elena tours internationally with Herbie Hancock, Terrace Martin, Chief Adjuah and Common. Her unique voice, flute playing, and writing style bring her musicality, harmony, rhythm, and culture to create a very specific sound all her own.
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In addition to her performing and recording career, Elena has established herself as a rising force in the world of film scoring, blending her background in jazz and contemporary music with a cinematic sensibility. She honed her skills under the guidance of Emmy-winning and Academy Award nominated composer Laura Karpman, whose mentorship was pivotal in shaping Elena's approach to crafting evocative and nuanced scores. Her film scoring work includes contributions to the critically acclaimed film American Fiction, as well as Marvel Studios' blockbuster The Marvels and HBO’s documentary Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed, bringing her unique voice to diverse storytelling mediums. As she continues to evolve as a film composer, Elena’s work stands out for its ability to seamlessly integrate emotional depth and innovative musical textures, establishing her as a significant new talent in the world of film music.