Ivi Papathanasiou studied piano and harmony at the Larissa Municipal Conservatory, counterpoint and fugue at the New Conservatory of Thessaloniki, musicology at the Department of Music Studies of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and cello at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki (class of Dimitris Patras).
She continued her studies at Trinity College of Music in London with Derek Aviss, earning a Postgraduate Diploma with distinction in 1997 and a Master’s in Performance and Related Studies from the University of London in 1998. Her thesis, which received distinction, focused on Pablo Casals’ interpretation of J.S. Bach’s solo cello suites.
She has performed in concerts as a soloist or chamber musician in Greece, the UK, the Czech Republic, and the USA. She has won numerous first prizes in Trinity College competitions, as well as the string category of the Angloczechoslovak Trust competition.
Since 2001, she has been a permanent member of the Athens State Orchestra. She participated in the recording of music by G.A. Papaioannou for Naxos, which received an award from the Union of Greek Music and Theatre Critics in 2014, and music by Giorgos Sicilianos released by Irida.
She teaches cello and has been involved in music education for young children. She has arranged and performed music for various ensembles, including film music, theatre music, and works by Manos Hadjidakis and Mikis Theodorakis.
In 2016, she founded the choir “synODIporoi Zografou,” with which she has presented a variety of programs in and outside of Athens. She is also the conductor of the children’s choir “12 Notes.”
