Elena Piras

Sardinian-born Elena inherited her father’s love of singing, particularly folk music, from a very early age. As a young child she sang in church choirs and later even appeared weekly on local Italian TV. By the time she was a teenager Elena was an experienced artist performing for large audiences and was singing and playing guitar professionally. Today, she is a popular personality on the gigs and festivals circuit, as well as writing and singing her own material – and enjoying the success of her debut album, Journey.

Since moving to the UK at the age of 18, Elena, who speaks six languages and is learning Gaelic, has lived in London, where she co-founded and toured with the successful London Bulgarian choir. In 2006 she moved to Edinburgh, where her work at the Royal Scottish Academy of Art gave her the opportunity to become fully immersed in the music scene in Scotland. Elena is now resident in Lerwick, Shetland, where, along with her singing performances at a full range of venues from gigs to festivals, she’s working on her own material and writing arrangements for old traditional songs.

Music is Elena’s inspiration – being visually-impaired since birth has enabled her to impart a very special meaning to her folk music. As she says, “Nothing compares to the authentic power of Scots, Irish and Gaelic folk and the way it transports both performer and their audience into its melodies and narrative. No other music seems to convey so vividly the beauty and hardship of a land and its people."