Elena Collins (she/her) is a clarinetist and composer based in Kansas City, Missouri and is the currently the Manager of Orchestral Personnel for the Kansas City Symphony as well as the Third Friday Art Walk Coordinator. Elena is also the co-founder and Operations Manager of Vice Versa, an interdisciplinary collective of artists that produces shows in Kansas City, New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC and beyond. Moreover, Elena was the co-founder and former clarinetist of Full Gremlin quartet, a KC-based new music ensemble that focused on commissioning new music for their unique instrumentation. On top of playing clarinet, she composes music and collaborates frequently with other composers and performers alike. Her compositions focus on themes of literature, nature, family, and loss: her works are often interdisciplinary, tying multiple fields and concepts together, and use both acoustic and fixed media processes. She received her bachelor’s in clarinet performance from DePauw University in 2022 and her master of music in clarinet performance from UMKC Conservatory in 2024. She has attended multiple festivals including Mostly Modern, Wintergreen LEAD co-op, Madeline Island Chamber festival, Cortona Sessions for New Music, and Bang on a Can summer festival. If she is not doing something music related, you can find her at RoKC climbing gym with friends, reading a book, or hanging out with her cat, Tigger.