Elena Roussanova (Composer for Boston Symphony Orchestra in Residence, Professor at the Berklee College of Music Composition Department)
Russian-American Composer, Pianist, and Educator Elena Roussanova, originally from Moscow, Russia, began studying music at the early age of three, when her family noticed her exceptional talent and interest in music. Graduated from one of the most prestigious conservatory in the world Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory with the highest distinction (Summa Cum Laude) in Composition.
Elena's professional career includes a long list of accomplishments in composition, her foremost passion, as well as teaching and performance. She was a composer for “BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA in Residence” (2020). Commissioned to write a new composition and to serve as a clinician. Her symphonic suite was recently featured on the prestigious satellite radio SiriusXM SYMPHONY HALL. On “CLASSICAL MUSIC with PRESTON TROMBLY” together with gems and giants of classical music, and on “LIVING AMERICAN” which celebrates the 21st century classical musicians, composers, conductors such as Alan Gilbert, Leonard Slatkin, Kronos Quartet to name a few. Elena has been awarded THE AMERICAN PRIZE in Composition for Orchestra Music 2017/2018. Her compositions have been performed and recorded by The Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra under Julius P. Williams, Omaha Symphony under Thomas Wilkins, music director, The Tchaikovsky State Orchestra of Moscow under Vladimir Fedoseyev, music director, The Moscow Radio Orchestra, The Principal Military Orchestra of Russian Federation, The Russian National Orchestra Brass Quintet, members of the Bolshoi Ballet, the Dallas Brass, Peoria Symphony Orchestra, and numerous orchestras at Universities and Festivals throughout the world. Her symphonic compositions were featured for the Ballet productions such as “SATURDAY NIGHT with Nashville Ballet Emergence” and Ballet Lubbock Gala.
Publishers of her work include Warner Brothers Publications, USA, Denis Wick Publications, Alfred Music Publishing Company, Musica Publishers, Moscow Russia. Allowing her music to be performed and heard by orchestras, bands, and chamber ensembles worldwide. Elena's compositions have been regularly chosen for Editor's Choice distinction by the J.W. Pepper Co. and have been given "permanent library" recognition. Her music was released on the Albany Record and Centaur Records Labels.
Elena's prolific writing encompasses many diverse styles including music for orchestras, wind ensembles, chamber ensembles, solo pieces as well as Broadway and popular style songs. Currently, Elena holds the position as Professor in Composition at the Berklee College of Music. Previously she served on the faculties of Boston University, New England Conservatory and as Co-Artistic Director of Berklee International Composers Institute (2008-2015) Boston, U.S.A.
Elena has many reviews and interviews in FANFARE MAGAZINE, AUDIO- PHILE AUDITION, MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL, AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE.
Her compositions have been played on numerous radio stations SIRIUS XM SYMPHONY HALL , CAPITAL PUBLIC RADIO Sacramento, CA; CJPX Montreal QC; WXXI Rochester, NY; WCNY Syracuse, NY; KPAC San Antonio, TX; WCVE Richmond, VA; WDPR Dayton, OH ; KANSAS PUBLIC RADIO Lawrence, KS; MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO St. Paul, MN; AL- ABAMA PUBLIC RADIO Tuscaloosa, AL; NPR Las Vegas, Nevada (Live Broadcast)
Elena is a Voting Member of the NATIONAL ACADEMY of RECORDING ARTS and SCIENCES (GRAMMY) and THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF COMPOSERS, AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS (ASCAP), U.S.A and a member of the UNITED RUSSIAN COMPOSERS UNION, Russia.
When an editor at Warner Brothers Publications asked composer and arranger Elena Roussanova (Lucas) to write a piece based on Russian folk music, she was pleased - and surprised. A child prodigy who began studying the piano at age three, Roussanova is an honors graduate in composition from the prestigious Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, her Russian hometown. Roussanova was not surprised that the publisher asked for a folk-based piece until she was told that she had only two days to finish before the recording session. While she was attending the Texas Music Educators Association Convention at the time, Roussanova spent the next 48 hours in her San Antonio hotel room composing "Harvesting the Fields of Russia." The piece later received an award in the Editors Choice category by the J.W. Pepper & Sons Inc. and earned best-seller honors. That was in 2001, and Roussanova has since undertaken many additional projects for Warner Brothers and Alfred Music Publishing. She's written works for orchestra, string orchestra, and wind ensemble and had her music performed by ensembles around the world.
"You just have to do it," says Roussanova, who is a professor at the Berklee College of Music Composition Department. "You have inspiration, you do it. You don't have inspiration, you do it." Her fascination with music began when, as a toddler, she heard Mario Lanza on television. Amazed by the sound of his voice, she started conducting with a knitting needle she grabbed from her mother. Her appreciation for different musical genres also began at an early age, when her favorites were The Beatles, the jazz-rock groups Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago. "If you are going to write a song, you have to have an extra line. Any good piece of music will have counterpoint." When teaching the numerous rules of counterpoint that often chafe young music students, Roussanova tells them, "To break the rule, you have to know the rule." Roussanova's writing incorporates a variety of genres and styles ranging from symphonic music to Broadway and pop. Although she is classically trained and a Voting Member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (GRAMMY), a The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and a member of the prestigious United Russian Composers Union, she's comfortable with all sorts of work and finds that her attitude fits well at Berklee. She maintains that her students like hearing classical music, even if their personal style is much different.
Roussanova loves writing music despite - or maybe because of - the forced creativity required by looming deadlines. Her tightest deadline gave her only 40 minutes. At the time, Roussanova forgot her best friend's request for her to write something for the birthday of an elderly tai chi teacher. Roussanova was reminded of her promise the morning of the celebration. All she had to go on was that the teacher loved to dance the waltz. "I started thinking, Chinese, waltz, pentatonic, Chinese paintings of butterflies and peonies," she recalls. Roussanova went to her piano and came up with "Butterfly and Flowers," a sweet and flowing waltz that she ultimately sold to her music publisher as a work for string orchestra geared toward high-school ensembles. "For musicians, it is all about opportunity," Roussanova says. "You have to be prepared for opportunity, for the open door. I tell my students, never treat [a composition] as an exercise. Always put yourself into it. You never know what opportunity you will have later on." Excerpts from Mary Hurley's interview for Berklee Press.