Ellen joined the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra as a casual player in 2006 and was appointed Associate Principal Clarinet in 2017.

She completed her Bachelor of Music (Honours) at the New Zealand School of Music before receiving a full scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in London. In 2010, she graduated with an MMus with Distinction and DipRAM.

Over the course of her career, Ellen has performed for the Queen and has participated in renowned events like the Norfolk and Norwich Festival, Edinburgh Festival, and the Harare International Festival of Arts. She has performed at Cadogan Hall, Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and the Purcell Room.

As part of a chamber ensemble, Ellen was a Royal Academy of Music Chamber Music Fellow and a young artist with the Concordia Foundation and Park Lane schemes. She is a winner of the 2008 ROSL ensemble competition in London.

Ellen returned to New Zealand in 2012 and was appointed Principal Clarinet with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, a position she held until joining the NZSO.

In her free time, Ellen enjoys running and is currently attempting to learn French.