Alena Walentin has established herself as one of the most versatile flute players of her generation and has an international career as a soloist, chamber musician, and guest solo flute with leading orchestras such as Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, National Orchestra of Sweden, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, BBC orchestras, The Philharmonia, London Mozart Players, and others.

 

She also serves as an International judge in flute competitions such as Young Artist of the National Flute Association (USA), British Flute Society competition (UK), Kamermuziek Concours Gelre (The Netherlands), International Music Competition VŠMU (Slovakia), II Brussels International Music Competition (Belgium), Singapore Festival Flute Competition (Singapore) and other. Alena has been a member of the Verbier Music Festival (Switzerland) for a number of years as an artist and teacher.

 

Alena is a recipient of numerous prizes and awards, including double prize winner of the International Carl Nielsen’s Chamber Music Competition together with her wind quintet Atéa. As a soloist, she has given recitals all over Europe and Asia, and had her Debut album released in 2020, which was chosen as an Album of the Week by the Danish National Radio. 

 

Alena is highly sought after as a teacher, and has been appointed as professor and teacher of flute and chamber music at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Royal Conservatory The Hague, Junior Royal Academy of Music in London and City University of London and The Royal Danish Academy of Music. 

 

Having given several premieres of works and worked closely with many composers, Alena is particularly keen on supporting female composers who were for a long time underrepresented in the classical world due to their gender. 

 

Soloist:

 

Alena Walentin performed joint recitals with such big 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 performed solo works with some of the world's leading orchestras, including the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Academy of Music Chamber Orchestra and has played recitals in Canada, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, UK, USA, Russia, Germany, Austria and Spain.

 

 

Professor and teacher:

 

Alena's one of real passions is teaching. Being an enthusiastic teacher and workshop leader, being keen on sharing her knowledge and experience with younger generation, since she young age, she has already, by age of 30, managed to established herself as a thought after teacher.

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In summer 2014 Mrs Walentin 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 has also been teaching assistant at the William Bennett International Flute Summer School and taught at the Dartington Summer School & Festival in 2017 and 2018, alongside her colleagues from Atéa Quintet, giving instrumental masterclasses and chamber music sessions as well as recital. 

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 few years ago and now she is giving Reaching Out workshops all over UK as Yeomen of Worshipful Company of Musicians and as one of the musicians of Live Music UK. Alena has also been judging competitions in Italy, Russian Federation, Singapore, United Kingdom and the United States.

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Orchestra:

Alena appeared as a Guest Principal Flute with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, The Philharmonia Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, London Mozart Players, Opera North, Hallé, MusicAeterna (Russia), Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra (Switzerland), BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Orchestra of St John's, London Concert Orchestra and as a piccolo player with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

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Adjudicator:

Alena has also judged competitions in Italy, Russian Federation, Singapore, United Kingdom and the United States, including the National Flute Association’s Young Artist Competition, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Chamber Music competition, Singapore Festival Flute Competition and the British Flute Society’s competitions.

 

Chamber musician:

Chamber music is a big part of Alena's life and career. She works regularly with fantastic musicians, who you will be able to read about on this website. Alena is also a member of the Atéa Quintet, Associate Ensemble in Residence at Birmingham Conservatoire (since 2012) and Ensemble in Residence at The Purcell School. 

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Education:

Alena has graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with the highest woodwind exam mark in 2011 studying 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, Sharon Williams. She also had lessons with Michael Cox and Sam Coles thanks to the scholarship from the Martin Scholarship Music Trust "Philharmonia Award".