Eleni Karaindrou was born in Fokida and raised in Athens. She studied piano and theory at the Hellenic Conservatory and also history and archaeology at the University of Athens.In 1967 she moved to Paris where she studied ethnomusicology and orchestration. Then she began to compose popular songs.

In 1974 she returned to Athens where she established a laboratory for traditional instruments and collaborated with the department of ethnomusicology of the radio. In 1976 she discovered ECM Records and was introduced to music for the theater and the cinema.

Her first soundtrack album was released in 1979 for the movie “Periplanissis” by Chistoforos Christoforis. In 1982 she won the Thessaloniki International Film Festival and was noticed by Theo Angelopoulos, the president of the committee. They collaborated in the last eight films of the famous Greek director from 1984 to 2008.

Among the acclaimed musicians she has collaborated with are Jan Garbarek and Markos Alexiou. She has composed many soundtracks, music for theatre and TV.