Elena Bashkirova

Elena Dmitrievna Bashkirova (Russian: Елена Дмитриевна Башкирова) is a pianist and musical director.

She was born in Moscow (1958), the daughter of pianist and teacher Dimitri Bashkirov. She studied at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

She is the founder of the Metropolis Ensemble in Berlin, Germany and Jerusalem International Festival of Chamber Music (also JIFCM's artistic director) in 1998.

Bashkirova was first married to the Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer.

In 1988 she became the second wife of the pianist Daniel Barenboim. They had met in the early 80s, while Barenboim was still married to the British cellist Jacqueline du Pré. By the time Barenboim met Bashkirova, du Pré had been diagnosed for several years with multiple sclerosis. During the last years of du Pré's illness, Barenboim and Bashkirova lived together in Paris and two sons were born. David Arthur Barenboim, born in Paris in 1982, is now manager-writer for several hip-hop bands. Michael Barenboim, born in Paris in 1985, is a classical violinist.