Christina G Papadopoulou (1990) grew up in a musical family in Greece. She started playing the piano at the age of six with her mother, Maya Papadopoulou, with whom she continued her studies at the Sychrono Conservatory of Thessaloniki. In 2016 she graduated with excellence from the University of Macedonia in BA classical piano performance with Professor Uwe Matschke. She caught on early with the discipline in music and became a very hard-working addition to the family of musicians.
The world of classical piano had its ups and downs for Christina. She has been awarded prizes for her chamber music performances as well as performing in numerous concert halls in Greece. She also struggled with hand injuries which was a tough, but evolving experience. Her incredible mentor, pianist & Alexander Technique teacher Christos Noulis, helped her to get back stronger than before. However, the classical music education until then seemed to limit her. She wanted to break free. That is when the music of jazz presented itself to her. For a couple of years, she juggled the two worlds, classical and jazz. In 2017, she moved to The Netherlands to start another bachelor’s degree in jazz vocals at the Prince Claus Conservatorium in Groningen.
As a jazz singer she has performed in a lot of productions and venues both as a soloist and with orchestras and bands. She is fascinated by singing with other voices which she explored in her Balkan trio Epiklisis. Eventually she found that her passion and goal in her music is to combine her roots and background; Balkan, Jazz & Classical, she loves to bring these worlds together.
Since 2012, she has regularly participated as a singer in the Summer Music Academy of Milcho Leviev in Sofia, featuring Aaron Goldberg, Peter Slavov, Francisco Mela, Billy Cobham, Vicky Almazidu and Milcho Leviev himself. She also had the honor of having lessons through the “USA comes to Groningen” program with David Berkman, JD Walter, Steve Nelson, Conrad Herwig, Michael Mossman, Helen Sung, Gene Jackson and many others.
Her main jazz influences are Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Chet Baker, Dianne Reeves & Al Jarreau.