ATHENS – Angeliki Spyridaki spoke with The National Herald about Music from Greece, the national music export office, founded by Greek professionals and artists to promote Greek music and industry professionals worldwide.
TNH: Tell us a little about your background. Where are you originally from, and were you always interested in pursuing a career in the music industry?
Angeliki Spyridaki: I am originally from Heraklion, Crete. My father is Cretan, while my mother’s family is of Asia Minor origin. Music and culture have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I began studying piano and music theory at a local conservatory when I was eight, while traditional music entered my life through the songs I sang with my grandmothers.
At 12, I joined my first choir, performing classical and contemporary repertoire ranging from Vivaldi and Purcell to Manos Hadjidakis and Mikis Theodorakis. At the same time, I became actively involved in organizing and performing in school concerts. Performing, music making, and helping to organize concerts soon became a natural part of my everyday life— something I could not imagine living without.
Angeliki Spyridaki of Music from Greece at a conference in China. Photo: Courtesy of Angeliki Spyridaki
While studying in the United Kingdom, I continued singing and performing and gained insight into how the music sector operated internationally. After returning to Greece, I joined the a cappella vocal ensemble Thalitas, began learning the oud and performed with various groups in tavernas and concert venues. I also contributed to recordings by fellow musicians while becoming increasingly involved in organizing concerts and festivals.
For several years, I felt that I did not quite ‘fit in’ professionally in Greece. The working culture I had encountered abroad differed considerably from the way the Greek music sector operated. This experience led me to pursue a master’s degree in Cultural Policy and Development and gradually directed me toward cultural management, production, and cultural policy.
For the past 15 years, I have worked as a freelance cultural manager and policy adviser, collaborating with public institutions, nonprofit organizations and private-sector partners. In 2021, I founded Cultural Reserve Nexus, a nonprofit organization dedicated to intercultural dialogue, intangible cultural heritage, oral tradition and contemporary cultural production.
Although I did not initially envision the precise career I have today, music was always an essential part of my life and ultimately became the thread connecting every stage of my journey.
TNH: How did you first become involved with Music from Greece?
AS: The idea for Music from Greece emerged in 2023, when I attended WOMEX [Worldwide Music Expo] with my close friend and collaborator Nikos Vogiatzakis. We were hosted at the Hellenic Ministry of Culture’s stand and were surprised to encounter only a handful of representatives from Greece’s music community, including Helen Kontos, Panos Bothos, and Erini, who had been selected for an official showcase that year.
Angeliki Spyridaki at the Music from Greece stand at WOMEX. Photo: Courtesy of Angeliki Spyridaki
Seeing the national stands and organized delegations of other countries was both impressive and intimidating. Their artists benefited from coordinated representation, professional support, and a clear international strategy. The contrast made us realize how much support Greek professionals lacked— not because of any shortage of talent, but because Greece did not have the necessary structure to promote and support them internationally. That was the moment the five of us decided to do something about it, and Music from Greece was born.
I took the lead in establishing it as a bottom-up initiative, initially operating within Cultural Reserve Nexus. It addressed a need I had repeatedly encountered through my work: Greece possesses extraordinary talent and a remarkably diverse musical identity, yet international success has generally depended on individual effort rather than a sustained national strategy.
Music from Greece has since developed into Greece’s official music export office. We organize Greek delegations to major international events, connect artists and music professionals with international partners, and offer guidance on funding, export readiness, touring, and professional development.
Our ambition is not simply to export individual artists or songs. It is to strengthen the Greek music ecosystem and establish music as both a valuable cultural resource and a strategic national asset.
TNH: What inspires you most in your work?
AS: I am inspired above all by people— the musicians, composers, and cultural professionals whose creativity, dedication, and resilience continually remind me of the extraordinary potential that exists in Greece. I am equally energized by the diversity of Greek music. International perceptions of Greece are often shaped by a limited number of familiar sounds. Those traditions are enormously valuable, but contemporary Greek music extends far beyond them, encompassing jazz, electronic and experimental music, rock, global and roots music, and innovative interpretations of tradition.
Seeing an artist establish the right international connection, receive an invitation to perform abroad, or discover that their work resonates deeply with audiences in another country is immensely rewarding. It demonstrates that Greek music can cross borders without losing its identity.
Another important source of motivation is the possibility of building a sustainable Greek music ecosystem. Countries such as France and Sweden demonstrate what can be achieved through long-term investment, effective export infrastructure, and coordination between public institutions and the music industry. I would like to see Greece recognize music in the same way— as an essential element of its cultural policy and a driver of cultural diplomacy, tourism, and economic development.
My dream is for Greece to become a confident and visible partner in international cultural dialogue— and for contemporary Greek songs to be heard, embraced, and sung by people around the world. Music carries memory, identity, and lived experience, but it also creates connections. That is what makes it such a powerful form of soft power and what continues to motivate my work.
TNH: How can Greeks in the diaspora help the initiative?
AS: The Greek diaspora is crucial to spreading the word about Music from Greece and its mission. Members of the diaspora can also provide the local knowledge needed to navigate international markets and establish a lasting presence. Greeks living abroad understand their local cultural landscape: they know the audiences, venues, institutions, media, sponsors, and decision-makers. These connections can help us identify the right opportunities and introduce Greek artists to audiences beyond established Greek communities.
Diaspora organizations can collaborate with us to develop concerts, showcases, festivals, and educational programs that present contemporary Greek artists and promote Greek culture more broadly. They can also help strengthen Greece’s presence at major industry and cultural platforms such as SXSW, globalFEST, APAP|NYC, Folk Alliance International, A2IM Indie Week, WOMEX, and the Cannes Film Festival. Looking ahead, cultural programming associated with the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles could provide another important opportunity to showcase Greek music and culture internationally.
Fundraising is equally vital. The only public financial support we have received to date has been a very small initial contribution from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, for which we are grateful. However, it is not sufficient to support the sustainable operation of Greece’s national music export office. This reflects a broader structural gap, as music export has not yet been fully incorporated into the country’s cultural policy.
Music from Greece needs funding for its essential operating costs and to develop and deliver programs that support Greek music professionals in their international careers and ambitions. These include mentoring and export-readiness programs, artist residencies, travel and showcase support, market missions, and international collaborations.
We therefore see the Greek diaspora not simply as an audience, but as an active partner. By combining its local knowledge, networks, resources, and influence with the talent and expertise that exist in Greece, we can build the sustainable infrastructure needed to give Greek music a stronger and more consistent international presence.
More information is available online: https://musicfromgreece.gr/.
