Born in Valencia, Spain, Elena Bañuls Juan showed an early interest in music. At the age of nine, she began learning the trumpet, and three years later, she started her "Grau Professional" trumpet studies at the "Josep Climent d'Oliva Conservatory of Music" in Spain, where she received an honors award in trumpet. ​By the time she was 18 she had have trumpet lessons by inspiring teachers such as Ricardo Ortega Sansaloni, Dani Mulet or Pau Botella.

 

Elena completed her Bachelor’s degree in Classical Trumpet under Professor Mireia Farrés at the "Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya" in Barcelona, Spain. In late 2016, she began her Master’s studies at the "University of Music and Theatre Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" in Leipzig with Professor Guido Segers. During her Master's studies (finished in 2021), Elena also learned baroque trumpet with Yosemeh Adjei and took jazz singing lessons with Prof. Evelyn Fischer. In 2017, she was awarded the "Concepción Merí" scholarship from Pro Musica in Spain.

 

Over the years, Elena has collaborated with both youth and professional orchestras. She performed at the Liceu Opera House in Barcelona and was a member of the "Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra," the "Netherlands Youth Orchestra," the "Gustav Mahler Academy," "JONC," and others, as well as an academy with the "Mahler Chamber Orchestra." In 2020, she held a temporary position with the Altenburg-Gera Theatre Orchestra. Elena has worked with prominent conductors such as Marc Minkowski, Christian Thielemann, and Lorenzo Viotti and has taken lessons with renowned trumpeters like Jonathan Müller, Lluís González, Christopher Dickens, Pasi Pirinen, Willem van der Vliet, and Manuel Blanco.

 

Since 2019, Elena has been teaching trumpet at the "Kurt Weill Music School" in Dessau, where she has developed a successful class. As a freelancer, she performs with various orchestras and participates in interdisciplinary projects. Elena is also on a journey of musical exploration, experimenting with sounds and compositions and finding new ways of expression. Get to know her most actual projects