NEW YORK – As the annual international music competition, Eurovision, continues to unfold and narrow down its top nominees, it’s the perfect time to get to know some of the people representing our beloved country – Greece.
In an interview with The National Herald, the ‘Sing for Greece’ contestant Victoria Anastasia Arvanitis discussed how her music journey began, and how it led to her securing a spot on the international stage.
She is a young and talented singer from New York with Greek and Polish roots, who was recently named in the Top 28 out of almost 270 contestants to represent Greece in Eurovision’s ‘Sing for Greece’ contest.
Born in New York and raised in Florida, Arvanitis is someone who has always been well-connected to her community and loved to embrace her Greek heritage.
Victoria Anastasia Arvanitis has released three singles, with two on the way by the summer. Photo by Clint Hild
From a young age, she attended Greek school, participated in Greek dancing lessons, and loved to go to Greek festivals where she could sing and dance. She also loved making annual visits to Greece to visit her father’s family in Lefkada, while also exploring other parts of the country she proudly represents today.
At the age of 18, she decided to leave Florida to chase her dreams of making music in the city where dreams are made, where she attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, and later, The New School university, where she studied theater and media.
Most recently, the 25-year-old singer and songwriter revealed how she managed to get selected to perform on the international Eurovision stage, and how it felt to achieve something so major in her career.
She revealed how she initially applied for Eurovision and submitted her song on October 21 of 2025. In December, she received a call from a mysterious number, which ended up being her ticket to the show!
“When I initially submitted it [her song entry], I was like, okay whatever’s gonna be is gonna be… I had the song and I thought, why not try,” Arvanitis said.
Victoria Anastasia Arvanitis performing on stage. Photo: Courtesy of Victoria Anastasia Arvanitis
After applying, she claimed she completely forgot about it, and kept the mindset of “if it’s meant to be, it will be.”
“I kind of let it go, and then randomly one day [months later], just after Christmas, I got a call from WhatsApp, and I saw it was coming from Greece. I was like, hmm that’s odd, because my family doesn’t call me through WhatsApp, so I thought, ‘who could this be?’ Then, I had a feeling it was ERT [the Greek TV channel].”
Feeling thrilled and taken by surprise, the Greek-American singer was then proven right, and was later invited to travel to Greece just weeks later, in early January 2026 for Eurovision’s ‘Sing for Greece’ contest.
She shared how when she arrived, she then stayed in Athens for two months, where one month was full of interviews, and the other was full of rehearsing to bring her performance to life – to wow the crowds and impress the judges.
Arvanitis submitted a song titled ‘Whatcha Doin To Me’, with music composed by Yannis Foustéris, lyra played by Antonis Gampierakis, and lyrics written by herself.
Victoria Anastasia Arvanitis spent two months in Greece ahead of the Sing for Greece contest. Photo: Courtesy of Victoria Anastasia Arvanitis
“We created something magical,” Anastasia expressed.
Reflecting on the song, she said “it’s about when you meet someone, and you don’t know why you like them so much. It’s that moment where you’re like, ‘what’s going on, why do I feel like this?’”
“I thought it was a really fun, groovy song that everyone could relate to.”
Although she didn’t win in the ‘Sing for Greece’ contest, Arvanitis was fortunate enough to be named in the top 28 artists who wanted to represent Greece.
She reflected upon her experience with Eurovision, and how it felt to represent her Hellenic roots on an international stage.
“It was honestly one of the most amazing experiences of my life,” Arvanitis said.
“Not only singing and being on that stage representing Greece, but also meeting incredible people. The production team made us feel like a family.”
“When I arrived in Greece, I remember the first day all the contestants were in a waiting room and none of us knew who the other contestants were. It was so cool watching everyone walk in and meet each other.”
She added: “Even though it was a competition, we were all there for each other. We would go into each other’s dressing rooms and give pep talks before performing. It was beautiful.”
During her time on the show, the Greek-American singer also secured six television interviews with major news programs in Greece.
The singer said this defining moment in her career where she was able to represent her Greek roots on an international stage was something that made her feel “so proud.”
“I remember calling my family and saying, ‘I just want to make you proud’,” Arvanitis said.
She also noted her upbringing in the U.S., and how she was constantly paying tribute to her Greek heritage – whether it was following one of her Greek music idols such as Helena Paparizou, or doing Greek dancing and immersing herself in her culture in other ways.
“A lot of people in Greece said people abroad have so much passion for their culture, and I was like ‘yes we do,’” she added.
“It was such an honor to come from America to Greece and be able to represent our culture.”
She expressed how her father, Alexandros Arvanitis, was also a source of inspiration in her musical journey. He always took her to his performances as he played in a band in New York and Florida.
“When I was little, all I remember is being backstage, waiting and listening to him,”Arvanitis explained.
“Instead of playing with toys as a kid, I would hop into his studio when he was trying to record and start singing about random things.”
Moving forward, the Greek-American singer reflected on her overall goals for herself following her incredible experience with Eurovision.
“This experience was kind of a test for myself, and it was my first really big stage,” Arvanitis said.
“When I went on that stage and felt that happiness and passion, I realized this is something I want to do for the rest of my life.”
She added how her future plans involve travelling to Greece more frequently to “record music and keep releasing songs.”
“My goal is to make music that makes people feel emotions – happy, inspired, or even comforted if it’s a sad song. Music helped me throughout my life, so I want to do that for others,” she explained.
“I also want to be able to do this full-time because this is my number one love and it’s my whole life, and I want to be on stage, and I want to be touring.”
When asked whether she had any advice for other young women who might be afraid to chase their dreams, Arvanitis encouraged them to not give up on their dreams.
“If you feel something in your heart… follow it,” she expressed. “Work hard and everything that is meant to be will be. Also, remember you are not alone. There are people who want to support you and help you. Stay true to yourself, keep your morals, and keep going.”
