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.

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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.

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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 Circlesongs, 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.

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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 (Γέφυρες) of the Megaron Athens Concert Hall; produced and performed at the concert “Musical Journey though Asia Minor” at the Benaki Museum; performed at he 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.

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