BIO
ELENI (Eleni Arapoglou) is a musician, vocalist, composer.
Born in London, she grew up in Greece, studied in the US where
she subsequently worked for several years based in New York.
She has collaborated with the American-Croat vocalist and
composer Thana Alexa for her album ‘Ona’ which was nominated
for Grammy in the Best Jazz Vocal Album category as well as with
Mexican musical artist Leonel Garcia for his album ‘Amor Pasado’
with Sony Music Mexico nominated for a Latin Grammy.
She has appeared on numerous stages in America such as the Aganis
Arena in Boston, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Park Avenue
Armory and National Sawdust in New York, and the Centro
Cultural Haroldo Conti in Buenos Aires. She has performed in
Europe in various venues such as the Lech Jazz Festival in
Austria, the famous Casa Patas and the AC Recoletos in Madrid,
the Sienna Jazz Festival, as well as in Athens at the Stavros Niarchos
Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), at the Half Note Jazz Club and
elsewhere.​
After graduating from Tufts University where she obtained her BA
in Theatre and Dance, she continued her studies in music at the
Berklee College of Music (Boston); while studying for her
Professional Diploma in Vocal Performance she explored
traditional music from various parts of the world as well as vocal
improvisation based on the philosophy of jazz.
​
Some of the projects in which she has been involved are the
Serbian traditional vocal group ROSA, the soul band Foreign
Hues, the Argentinian Trio with Jacinta Clusellas and Juana Luna,
the Aca Seca Trio, the duet with lute player Vassilis Kostas; she
has also performed with the Israeli pianist Shai Maestro, with the
Cuban pianist Dayramir Gonzalez, the American songwriter Emily
Elbert, the Portuguese vocalist Sofia Ribeiro, the Greek bassist
Petros Klampanis, the several times nominated artist from
Uruguay Jorge Drexler, the renowned Argentinian composer and
guitarist Juan Falu, Colombian pianist Carolina Calvache, Indian-
American vocalist Kavita Shah,; she participate as a singer at the
Cirque du solei in Riyadh for the grand season Opening.
​
In parallel to her musical performances, Eleni has been teaching
vocal improvisation, interpretation and composition through
programs like the Global Music Foundation (London), her
collaborations with Bobby McFerrin at the Omega Institute with
Circle Songs, also with Rhiannon at the All The Way In (Hawaii,
California, Canada and soon in Copenhagen), the ISWiB (Serbia),
the Women In Sound (New York), the Luna Monti Estudio (Buenos
Aires), Triskelion Arts & Alchemical Studios (New York). Her solid
exploration through Action Theatre of movement and
improvisation as catalyst for musical creativity is incorporated in
her teaching method of BodySong.
​
During the last seven years, Eleni is a teaching Artist at Carnegie
Hall (NYC) composing music with families from all boroughs of
the city as well as in women’s shelters, schools, prisons,
hospitals, etc., but now also working internationally with
Carnegie’s Lullaby Project Public Writing Sessions; through
Carnegie Hall she has collaborated with El Sistema Greece. She is
also a music mentor in SAY (Stuttering Association for the
Young), in Musicalmente (music lessons for children with autism)
and music coordinator for NYC RELIEF. She has been nominated
for the Greek International Women Awards (2017).
During the last two years Eleni has also worked in Greece: she
has given several performances at Half Note (her latest
appearance with famous American pianist and jazz composer Joel
LaRue Smith); has collaborated with composer performer Costis
Maraveyas for the Thessaloniki Festival, Making Cinema Green -
Evia Flm Project; participated in the NYC Mediterranean Jazz
Festival, as well as in the Cretan World Music Festival; has
performed in the series Bridges (ΓÎφυρες) of the Megaron Athens
Concert Hall; produced and performed at the concert “Musical
Journey though Asia Minor” at the Benaki Museum; performed at
the concert Solidarity Now at the Megaron Athens Concert Hall.
Since 2022, she has been collaborating with the Educational
Programs of the Megaron creating her own improvisation and
singing programs for children; she has taught the children’s choir
of the City of Athens Reception and Solidarity Centre for the concert on
the International Day for Education.
​