Elena Collins (she/her) is a clarinetist and composer based in Kansas City, Missouri who recently completed her master’s in clarinet performance at UMKC. She received her bachelor’s in clarinet performance from DePauw University in 2022 and has attended multiple festivals including Mostly Modern, Wintergreen LEAD co-op, Madeline Island Chamber festival, Cortona Sessions for New Music in the Netherlands, and Bang on a Can festival. Elena is the co-founder and former clarinetist of Full Gremlin quartet, a KC-based new music ensemble that focuses on commissioning new music for their unique instrumentation. On top of playing clarinet, she composes music and collaborates with 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. If she is not doing something music related, you can find her at RoKC climbing with friends or coaching her many students and teams.