Elena Ashkenazy was born in Moscow to a musical family. Building on the foundation of her studies at the Central School of Music in Moscow, class of Anaida Sumbatian. In 1975, graduated from the Gunessin Institute in Moscow, class of Alexander Yocheles. Being a student of the Gunessin Institute, she succeeded in winning international as well as national competition as solo-pianist and chamber musician.

The first part of her long life as a musician was devoted as the concert pianist. Since 1976, she played in many cities in the USSR, as well as abroad, Poland, Yugoslavia, Finland, Germany, Austria, Spain, France and Japan as solo-pianist and also part of chamber musician.

On the other hand, she had been teaches the piano at the Central Music School under Moscow Conservatoire. Since 1995, she acts as Guest Professor at Musashino Academia Musicae in Tokyo, Japan. And also she teaches at Master Class in Europe and in many cities around Japan. Lot of her student got a good grade by her earnestly teaching, her students finished Academia with top honors. Also some students selected as prizewinner at several International and Japanese competition and audition.

She acts as jury of 8th International Schubert-Competition for Piano in Dortmund, Germany, 1st Japan Tchaikovsky Competition in Tokyo, Japan, and 73th 74th Music Competition of Japan also in Tokyo, Japan, that is most authoritative and traditional Competition in Japan.