Eleni Papakyriakou comes from Thessaloniki, Greece. She completed her studies in orchestra conducting at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (Mag. art.) in 2015.​

 

As founder and chief conductor of Sinfonietta Passau (since 2023), Eleni Papakyriakou established her own symphony orchestra, which can already look back on four highly successful concert series. She was awarded the "SYLFF Leadership Initiatives Award" by the Tokyo Foundation in 2024.​

 

After successful guest conducting engagements at the "Louis Spohr" Music Academy in Kassel, Eleni Papakyriakou was appointed director of the academy orchestra in 2025. She was also engaged as a lecturer for instrumental ensemble conducting.

 

She is also chief conductor and artistic director of the Passau University Orchestra (2016–2019 and again since 2022) and worked for seven years at the Landestheater Niederbayern, where she conducted performances.

 

Her participation in the international competition "La Maestra Paris" led to a concert with the Orchestre Pasdeloup at the Philharmonie de Paris (Grand Hall Pierre Boulez) in 2021. She has also collaborated as a guest conductor with the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna Academic Orchestra Association.