Elinor Frey was born in
Seattle, Washington, and started playing the
cello at a young age. She was exposed to early music from an early age by listening to recordings of her aunt, the pioneering vocalist
Barbara Thornton. She now leads the Accademia dei Dissonanti, an organization for performance and research. She maintains a busy performance schedule, concertizing and recording across Canada, the US and Europe. She made her Australian debut in 2023, playing concertos with the Brandenburg Orchestra. Her extensive discography, of largely unknown repertoire, on the
Passacaille and Analekta record labels, has won several prizes and critical acclaim. In addition to recording, she has also made critical editions of the complete cello music of
Giuseppe Clemente Dall'Abaco and
Antonio Vandini. She is on the faculty of the Schulich School of Music at McGill University and the
Université de Montréal, teaching baroque cello and performance practice. == Awards and honors ==