Biography

Alena Walentin (formerly Lugovkina) is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music and an Altus Artist. Alena is a recipient of numerous prizes such as the 1st prizes at the British Flute Society’s Competitions, the International Flute Competition “Friedrich Kuhlau”(Germany) and the Royal Academy of Music flute competition. She has also won several prestigious awards including the Worshipful Company of Musicians Maisie Lewis Prize 2015, the Hattori Foundation Award, The Leverhulme Trust Award, The Philharmonia MMSF Award, the Wolfson Foundation Award and many others.

As soloist:

Alena performs joint recitals with such figures in the flute world as Emmanuel Pahud and Denis Bouriakov. Alena has performed at the most prestigious UK venues including Royal Festival Hall, Buckingham Palace, Wigmore Hall, Barbican Hall, Windsor Castle, King’s Place and at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. She has performed solo works with some of the world’s leading orchestras, including the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Academy of Music Chamber Orchestra.  She has played recitals in Canada, Japan, UK, USA, Russia, Germany, Austria and Spain.

In education:

Alena graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with the top woodwind exam mark in 2011, where she studied with Professor William Bennett OBE and Patricia Morris. She received her Master of Music with Distinction at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama where she studied with Philippa Davies, Christopher Green, Sarah Newbold, Ian Clarke and Sharon Williams.

As a professor and teacher:

Alena is an enthusiastic teacher and workshop leader. She is keen to share her knowledge and experience with younger generation. In summer 2014 Alena was invited to be a coach at the International Music Festival in Switzerland “Verbier Festival” Chamber Week, in 2015 she was the flute teacher at the Ponte Cultura music course in Corsica, France and gave masterclasses at ESMAE (Conservatoire of Music and Theatre) in Porto (Portugal) followed by series of solo concerts. She is a visiting tutor and chamber music coach at the Birmingham Conservatoire, The Purcell School, London Russian Music School and the Junior Royal Academy of Music, has been a teaching assistant at the William Bennett International Flute Summer School and in 2015 was appointed a flute teacher at the London City University. She has also been teaching at the Dartington Summer School & Festival in 2017, alongside her colleagues from Atea Quintet and was invited back for 2018 to give instrumental masterclasses and chamber music sessions. After being inspired by Music in Community sessions while studying at the Royal Academy of Music, Alena has taken further training at the Verbier Festival’s first Reaching Out Programme a few years ago and now she is giving Reaching Out workshops all over UK as a Yeomen of Worshipful Company of Musicians and as one of the musicians for Live Music UK. Alena has also been judging competitions in Italy, Russian Federation, Singapore and the United States.

​Orchestral experience:

Alena has appeared as a Guest Principal with the Royal Opera House, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Britten Sinfonia, London Mozart Players, MusicAeterna, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and the Royal Northern Sinfonia.  She has appeared as a piccolo player with the City of Birmingham Symphony, Orchestra Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. She has been a member of the Verbier Festival Orchestra (Switzerland), Orpheus Sinfonia, London Mahler Orchestra and Britten-Pears Orchestra and the Orchestra of Academy Ossiach (Austria).

As chamber musician:

Chamber music is a big part of Alena’s life and career. She works regularly with many different musicians (see her website for upcoming concerts). Alena is also a member of the Atéa Wind Quintet, Associate Ensemble in Residence at Birmingham Conservatoire (from 2012) and Ensemble in Residence at The Purcell School.

Musicians’ Company Award: Maisie Lewis Prize 2015

Page Updated: May 2018