Elena Smirnova is a top real estate broker in New York City, one of the most competitive markets anywhere, and she arrived there by a route few of her colleagues can claim. Before she ever handled a transaction, she was an award-winning concert pianist, with three solo Carnegie Hall performances under her belt by the age of 21. She trained classically, graduated as valedictorian from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she also studied engineering, and earned her Master’s Degree from one of the top conservatories, Manhattan School of Music, magna cum laude.