Elena Roussanova
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Elena Roussanova is a Composer, Pianist, and Educator.
Graduated from Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory (Summa Cum Laude) in Composition. Awarded THE AMERICAN PRIZE in Composition for Orchestra Music 2017/2018. Composer and clinician for “BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA in Residence” (2020).
Performances and recordings include : SIR ANTONIO PAPPANO, AIGUL AKHMETSHINA, THE TCHAIKOVSKY STATE ORCHESTRA of MOSCOW under Vladimir Fedoseyev, music director, THE BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (Chamber Concert), Samy Rachid, conductor, THE PRAGUE RADIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, THE BUFFALO PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Julius P. Williams, conductor, OMAHA SYMPHONY Thomas Wilkins, conductor. Her compositions broadcasted on numerous radio stations including Sirius XM Symphony Hall on “CLASSICAL MUSIC” with JOHN CLARE and PRESTON TROMBLY, and on “LIVING AMERICAN”.
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Published by WARNER Brothers Publications, BELWIN Music Publishing, ALFRED Music Publishing Company. Her music was released on the NAXOS, PARMA Recordings, ALBANY Record and CENTAUR Records Labels. The recording of a new song, written especially for the opera star AIGUL AKHMETSHINA, was recently recorded with the legendary conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra SIR ANTONIO PAPPANO and will be released on the DECCA CLASSICS label in 2026. Currently, Elena holds the position as Professor in Composition at the Berklee College of Music.
Member of THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF COMPOSERS, AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS (ASCAP), Voting Member of the NATIONAL ACADEMY of RECORDING ARTS and SCIENCES (GRAMMY).
Past Events
THE EUROPEAN PREMIERE
October 26, 2025
THE WORLD PREMIERE
September 14, 2025​
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​"MUJER FATAL"
(La Belle Otero)
at ​
The Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires
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Written especially for Aigul Akhmetshina
Music by Elena Roussanova
Lyrics by Sheila del Bosque Fuentes
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PROGRAM NOTES
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In the dazzling heart of Belle Époque Paris, beneath the lights of the Folies Bergère, Carolina Otero—known to the world as La Belle Otero—captivated audiences with her striking presence and magnetic charm. Born in Spain and celebrated across Europe and the United States, she forged an international identity, embodying the essence of a cosmopolitan artist long before the concept became commonplace.
Yet behind the glittering façade lies a more complex and poignant story. Otero’s early life was marked by trauma, including abuse she endured as a child. Refusing to be defined by this past, she crafted a persona that allowed her to navigate and survive in a world that often sought to control women’s bodies and narratives.
Her name is frequently entwined with tales of heartbreak and scandal—marked by the tragic fates of the men who pursued her—but her story invites us to look beyond those myths and into the resilience and complexity of a woman who refused to be a victim.
This piece honors her spirit by tracing her journey through a musical landscape shaped by no single nation—a sonic mosaic reflecting the life of a woman who transcended borders and expectations to become her own creation.
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Sheila del Bosque Fuentes
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REVIEWS of the WORLD PREMIERE
From Musica Clasica Buenos Aires
From 360 of OPERA
June 2025
THE RECORDING SESSION
of the second album of Aigul Akhmetshina
with
Sir Antonio Pappano
at the
DECCA CLASSICS, London
New Release!
ALONE/TOGETHER: THE DREAMS & DIVERSITY OF THE AMERICAN COMPOSER
THE LEGEND, a symphonic poem illustrating a day in the life of an ancient city.
THE GREAT CHAPLIN: I. Just Kidding Around; II. Sometimes Sad; III. “Lights! Camera! Action!”
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra & JoAnn Falletta Announce 23-24 Season
Classics Series Highlights
The 2023-24 season’s Classics series includes guests from an exciting and inspiring variety of backgrounds, with special performances marking important anniversaries in the world of Classical music. On September 23, virtuoso Gil Shaham brings the 1719 Stradivarius violin back to Buffalo, joining JoAnn and the orchestra for a one-night-only performance including the climactic Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky, with a gala to celebrate the new season. Extraordinary violin playing will continue to resound throughout Kleinhans in October, with concerts featuring internationally acclaimed violinist Tianwa Yang among a program of beloved French works (Oct. 6-7), and Grammy-nominated violinist Tessa Lark with award-winning American maestro Julius Williams, who will conduct Elena Roussanova’s Moments of Arrival (Oct. 21-22).
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- from Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra's website (bpo.org)
“ Talent and determination… rich lyricism… Roussanova’s work is ripe with lovely unabashedly Romantic melodies, full of nostalgia and reflection, but just as often propelled by lively rhythms... It is, if I were to choose, the most engagingly written work on the program."
Ronald E. Grames - Fanfare Magazine (Jan/Feb 2017)