Elina Markatatou is a mandolinist, educator, and artistic researcher based in Antwerp, Belgium. Originally from Heraklion, Crete, she studied mathematics at the University of Ioannina together with her sister Maria, while also receiving formal training in harmony and counterpoint at the Filippos Nakas Conservatory. From the early stages of their careers, Elina and Maria performed extensively across Greece, engaging with a wide range of urban and regional music traditions.
In 2013, Elina and Maria moved together to Belgium to pursue advanced studies in mandolin performance at the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp under the guidance of Professor Gerda Abts. They both earned Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in Music with distinction. Their joint Master’s research focused on the four distinct traditions of mandolin music in Greece and laid the foundation for their current doctoral projects.
Since 2019, Elina and Maria have been jointly conducting PhD research in the Arts at the Royal Conservatoire and the University of Antwerp. Their research explores the mandolin repertoire and performance practices of the Ionian Islands, Crete, Athens, and the Greek-speaking communities of Asia Minor. Their methodology draws on artistic research principles and includes embodied performance, transcription, archival investigation, and collaboration with musicians, in order to examine idiomatic techniques, processes of transmission, and the interaction between oral and written sources.
Alongside their research, Elina and Maria teach mandolin, chamber music, and music initiation at several music academies across Flanders. They have given concerts, workshops, and masterclasses in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Ukraine, and Greece. Their artistic projects include performances, collaborations with ensembles and mandolin orchestras, and educational initiatives that involve international participants.
(c) Beatriz Laborda Gonzalez
Update: April 2025