Kanun Player Composer
Eleanna Pitsikaki is one of the most distinctive voices of the qanun on today’s global music scene. Rooted in jazz culture and shaped by memory, tradition, and improvisation, her work embraces transcultural expression as a living, evolving language.
Born and raised in Crete and now based in Germany, she approaches the qanun as a living instrument, creating a musical dialogue where East meets West, makam meets jazz, and ancestral sound unfolds into bold contemporary forms. As a performer, educator, and expert in transcultural mediation, Eleanna builds bridges between worlds, on stage, in academia, and beyond.
Her debut album, Àroma, unfolds as a sonic diary, deeply personal and crafted with great care. It received the Silver Award from the Global Music Awards and was also nominated for the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik.
Eleanna’s journey has been anything but linear: from performing among the ancient stones of the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens, to the Schleswig-Holstein Festival and Rheingau Festival, to the Sharq Taronalari Festival, appearing as a soloist with the Plovdiv Academy Orchestra in Bulgaria, representing Greece at the Qanun Festival in Ankara and Istanbul, and performing across Europe, including the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Luxembourg, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Austria and more.
She has shared the stage with artists such as Yasmin Levy, Ross Daly, Evanthia Reboutsika, Pantelis Thalassinos, Yorgos Kazantzis, Sokratis Sinopoulos, Oumeima El Khalil, Nil Venditti, Bar Avni, Yurdal Tokcan, Göksel Baktagir, László Fenyő, Shantel, Abeer Nehme and many others.
Since 2023, she has been a member of the Trickster Orchestra, an ensemble fusing transtraditional and contemporary jazz. Their work led to a recording with the legendary ECM Records. Previously, she was a founding member of the Bridges Kammerorchester in Frankfurt, active for seven years as a musician, arranger, and music educator.
Alongside her performance career, Pitsikaki is deeply committed to education, research, and cultural mediation. She has taught qanun, Ottoman makam, transcultural music ensembles, and intercultural music pedagogy at institutions including the University of Music Mainz, Freies Musikzentrum Munich, University of Music and Dance Cologne, Landesmusikakademie, and the University of Music Karlsruhe.
She is currently completing her PhD at the University of Music Mainz, focusing on transcultural music, migration, and belonging. In parallel, she serves as Artistic Director of the OMOPO Orchestra, co-leading the ensemble with Abathar Kmash, and contributes to European research initiatives on cultural education. She was selected as a scholarship holder for the first Transcultural Music Academy of the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz (2024-2026).
Eleanna regularly leads formats such as Transcultural Session and works as a co-researcher at the University of Cologne on the project “Advancing Cultural Literacy for Social Inclusion through Dialogical Arts Education,” part of the dialoguing@rts program, and is an active member of the dialoguingarts community at Leuphana University Lüneburg.
Eleanna began her musical journey in her mother’s choir, with a qanun on her lap and a stage beneath her feet.
She studied World Music at the Popakademie Baden-Württemberg in Mannheim and completed an Erasmus semester in the Musician 3.0 program at HKU Conservatory in Utrecht. She later earned a Master’s degree in Jazz Improvisation from the University of Music and Dance in Cologne.
Eleanna has attended numerous seminars at the Labyrinth Musical Workshop, studying under the renowned Göksel Baktagir. She holds a diploma in Byzantine Music, with additional training in early music education, elementary music pedagogy, and systematic psychology.
“To me, music is not just sound. It’s a meeting point. It’s how we carry memory, share emotion, and create space for something new, together.”
The debut album Aroma by Eleanna Pitsikaki continues to receive remarkable international recognition. The album was nominated for the German Record Critics’ Award (Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik) and reached the Top 3 of the European Jazz Network Charts. It also achieved No.1 on the Balkan World Music Charts, confirming its strong resonance across Southeastern Europe. […]
Eleanna Pitsikaki Represents Germany in the International Women of Jazz Initiative 2026 For International Women’s Day 2026, several leading European jazz magazines have once again joined forces to highlight outstanding female artists shaping the contemporary jazz scene. As part of this international editorial collaboration, each publication presents a musician whose artistic voice represents new perspectives […]
Featured in the ZDF Documentary About Crete I had the great honor of being part of a ZDF documentary about Crete, where I shared my story as a musician born and raised on this beautiful island. The documentary, broadcast on ZDF (Germany’s national television), offers an authentic look at the heart of Cretan culture, tradition, […]
With its debut at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Bridges Kammerorchester launched its anniversary season 24/25 on August 26 at the sold-out Elbphilharmonie, celebrating its 5th anniversary. Foto Credits: Sophie Wolter
“Bridges,” a concert of Evanthia Reboutsika with, Christina Poulitsi, and Yasmin Levy, is a captivating musical event that brings together these renowned artists to create a unique blend of sounds.
“The qanun fits seamlessly into the soundscape, as if it had always been completely at home in jazz bands.”
“With Aroma, Eleanna Pitsikaki presents herself as one of the most exciting new voices on the European jazz scene: open, curious, and uncompromisingly musical.”
“Aroma transports the listener to warmer, sunnier places, offering an exotic yet relaxing blend of Greek, Balkan, and jazz influences.”
“A warm and deeply emotional journey where jazz, Mediterranean sounds, and experimental freedom meet the authentic and passionate voice of Eleanna Pitsikaki.”
A list of my projects
Sharing music is at the heart of what I do, not only on stage, but also in the classroom, rehearsal room, and in one-on-one lessons. I offer lessons and guidance in:
Since 2024, I have been a lecturer at the Hochschule für Musik Mainz, leading seminars on intercultural music pedagogy. My focus is on how music can build bridges, challenge stereotypes, and create new spaces of belonging.
Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced musician, I’m always excited to work with curious, passionate people who want to explore music beyond borders.
Interested in learning with me or inviting me for a workshop or collaboration? Feel free to get in touch. I’d love to hear from you.
<p>All workshops and lessons are available both on site and online. Take the opportunity and get in touch to book Eleanna Pitsikaki for your musical events. Immerse yourself in a world full of sound and cultural diversity!</p>
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