Elena Ayodele Pinderhughes

Elena Ayodele Pinderhughes is an award-winning flutist, vocalist, composer, and songwriter.
Pinderhughes’s style seamlessly blends jazz, hip-hop, and R&B influences, reflecting her diverse
musical upbringing and open-minded approach to music. She began her musical journey at a young
age and has since established herself as a prominent figure in the contemporary jazz and R&B music
scenes, performing and touring in venues and festivals throughout the United States, Europe, Japan,
and South America. Described by The Guardian as the “most exciting and creatively assured jazz
flutist to have emerged in years”, Elena has performed in venues and festivals including Carnegie
Hall, the White House, the Kennedy Center, Coachella Music Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Marciac
Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, and Newport Jazz Festival.
Elena was raised in the Bay Area, CA, and moved to New York City to study flute and voice at The
Manhattan School of Music. In New York, she began recording, touring, and performing with artists
in multiple genres including Common, Herbie Hancock, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Terrace
Martin, Robert Glasper, Hubert Laws, Kenny Barron, Stefon Harris, Lionel Loueke, Terri Lyne
Carrington, Josh Groban, Vijay Iyer, Future and others. Most recently, Elena is featured on Terrace
Martins album, “Fine Tune”, Herbie Hancock’s upcoming album, Common’s album, ”Black America
Again”, Lupe Fiasco’s “Drogas Wave,” Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah’s albums “Stretch Music:
Introducing Elena Pinderhughes” and “Diaspora”, Ambrose Akinmusire’s Blue Note album, “The
Imagined Savior is Far Easier to Paint,” Terri Lyne Carrington’s Grammy Winning album “New
Standards” as well as many others. Performing with a range of musicians, as well as with her own
group, Elena tours internationally with Herbie Hancock, Terrace Martin, Christian Scott aTunde
Adjuah and Common. Her unique voice, flute playing, and writing style bring her musicality,
harmony, rhythm, and culture to create a very specific sound all her own.