Elena Kalashnikova was born in Pyatigorsk (Russian Federation).
She studied piano at the Music College in Stavropol and she pursued her piano studies under the guidance of Prof. Alla Dolzhenko at the Leonid Sobinov State Conservatory in Saratov, where she studied organ as well.
She performed piano concerts in Russia as soloist and as a member of various chamber ensembles.
She worked as piano accompanist and piano teacher at the Music School n. 19 in Saratov and as piano accompanist at the Saratov Conservatory.
She is currently music teacher at the Ivan Turgenev Russian school in Turin (Italy).
She is organist at the Madonna degli Angeli Sanctuary and at the San Carlo Borromeo Church of Turin and she was organist at the Convitto Principessa Felicita di Savoia of the same city.
She has cooperated with the Accademia Corale Guido d'Arezzo of Turin.

In 2017 she founded the "Russian-Italian Organ Duo" together with the Italian organist Luca Massaglia.
The Duo has given concerts in Italy, Norway and Sweden, on occasion of - among others - the following international festivals:
- Skånes Orgelveckor, at the Allhelgonakyrkan in Lund, the Sankt Petri Kyrka in Malmö, the Höörs Kyrka in Höör (Sweden)
- Orgelmatiné, at Tønsberg Cathedral (Norway)
- Sommerkonserter, at the Lillehammer Kirke in Lillehammer (Norway)
- Sommer-konsertene, at the Bragernes Kirke in Drammen (Norway)
- Sommerlordag, at the Gjøvik Kirke in Gjøvik (Norway)

The Duo is characterized especially by a matchless repertoire, which includes original pieces for organ 4-hands, original pieces for two organs and transcriptions.
Several composers have written specially for the Duo: Franklin D. Ashdown (U.S.A.), Jay C. Batzner (U.S.A.), Michael Canales (U.S.A.), Carson Cooman (U.S.A.), Emma Lou Diemer (U.S.A.), Paul A. Epstein (U.S.A.), Stanley M. Hoffman (U.S.A.), Robert S. Potterton (U.S.A.), Justin H. Rubin (U.S.A.), Charles Shadle (U.S.A.), Arsen Harutyunyan (Armenia), Khadija Zeynalova (Azerbaijan - Germany), Johan Famaey (Belgium), Adrian Vernon Fish (England), John Riley (England), Paul Ritchie (England), Aaro Pertmann (Estonia), Tapio Säyppö (Finland), Wolfram Graf (Germany), Eva-Maria Houben (Germany), Alexander Moseler (Germany - Russia), Markus Nickel (Germany), Andreas Willscher (Germany), Victor Kioulaphides (Greece - U.S.A.), Gilberto Bosco (Italy), Fausto Caporali (Italy), Carlotta Ferrari (Italy), Walter Gatti (Italy), Paolo Lazzeri (Italy), Grimoaldo Macchia (Italy), Grazia Salvatori (Italy), Angelo Maria Trovato (Italy), Eilert Tøsse (Norway), Konstancja Kochaniec (Poland), Șerban Nichifor (Romania), Irina Dubkova (Russia), Olesya Rostovskaya (Russia), Anna Vetlugina (Russia), Milko Bizjak (Slovenia), Mateo Soto (Spain), Maria Löfberg (Sweden), Johan-Magnus Sjöberg (Sweden), Boryslav Stronko (Ukraine).