Maestra • For the women and nonbinary people who make the music in the musical theater industry.

Biography

Elena Bonomo is a drummer, percussionist, band leader and music educator based in the NYC area. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, she holds a Bachelors Degree in Performance.

Actively involved in both the pop/rock and musical theater scenes, Elena strives to create fluidity across all musical genres. She has performed at venues across NYC including Feinstein’s/54 Below, Birdland, Joe's Pub, The Blue Note, Symphony Space, Green Room 42, Rockwood Music Hall, Pianos, The Bitter End, and more. She is currently in the house band for FEMME Jam, and all-female led jam session that takes place once a month at Brooklyn’s C’Mon Everybody (led by Camille Trust, Melissa McMillan, Alita Moses and Miranda Joan).

In the theater realm, Elena has toured across the United States as the drummer for the 1st National Tour of the hit Broadway musical, Waitress (music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles). She originated the drum chairs for two Off-Broadway shows including The Hello Girls and A Strange Loop (winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama), and appeared as the drummer on both of their Original Cast Recordings. An active sub in the NYC Theater scene, her Broadway and Off-Broadway sub credits include Waitress, Be More Chill, Cagney, For Colored Girls, and A Taste of Things to Come.

Elena has shared the stage with Tony-award winning actress Patina Miller (Pippin, Sister Act), Annie Golden (Orange is The New Black), Nikki Renee Daniels, Constantine Maroulis, Desi Oakley, Christine Dwyer, Natalie Walker, Heath Saunders, and jazz vocalist Jacqui Naylor. In addition to her US appearances, Elena has performed throughout the Caribbean, South America, Australia, New Zealand and Europe while working as band leader for Holland America Cruise Lines. She has toured nationally with Boston based Americana/Folk group, The Novel Ideas, with whom she also recorded a full length album.

Elena currently holds the drum chair for Broadway’s newest hit musical, SIX (by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss). She is currently accepting new students to her virtual studio for private lessons.

Elena is a proud endorser of Yamaha drums, Sabian cymbals, Remo drum heads, and Vic Firth drum sticks.