Maria Elena Kyriakou

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Maria Elena Kyriakou was born on 11 January 1984 in Larnaca, Cyprus and has lived there since then. She has three siblings; one brother Kyriacos Pavlou and two sisters. At the age of 13, her mother registered her at a music school.{{cite web|url=http://www.star.gr/Pages/Media.aspx?art=227044&artTitle=deite_poia_einai_i_maria_elena_kyriakou_pou_kerdise_sto_the_voice|title=ΔΕΙΤΕ: ΠΟΙΑ είναι η Μαρία Έλενα Κυριάκου που κέρδισε στο "The Voice"|publisher=Star|access-date=10 May 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512194623/http://www.star.gr/Pages/Media.aspx?art=227044&artTitle=deite_poia_einai_i_maria_elena_kyriakou_pou_kerdise_sto_the_voice|archive-date=12 May 2014|df=dmy-all}} Years later, she studied philosophy at the University of Ioannina and during the first year she got a proposition from Giannis Ploutarchos which she did not accept as she preferred to concentrate on her studying. After 2 years at the University of Ioannina she decided to move back to her home country. She then continued her studies at the University of Cyprus. After her graduation she opened her own tutorial class. In 2011, her mother applied for Maria Elena to audition for Greek Idol but did not go to the auditions.{{cite web|url=http://www.newsorama.gr/to-profil-tis-nikitrias-tou-the-voice-marias-elenas-kyriakou/|title=Το προφίλ της νικήτριας του The Voice Μαρίας-Έλενας Κυριάκου|work=Newsorama |access-date=10 May 2014}}

Kyriakou auditioned for The Voice of Greece at the age of twenty-nine.{{cite web|url=http://www.antenna.gr/minisites/thevoice/players?pid=332841|title=Profile: Maria Elena Kyriakou |access-date=25 January 2014|publisher=ANT1}} Appearing on the third of the eight blind auditions, she auditioned with "Because of You" originally by Kelly Clarkson—with all four coaches electing for her to join their teams; from which Kyriakou selected Despina Vandi.{{cite web|url=http://www.tralala.gr/the-voice-i-vandi-magnitis-ton-rokadon-i-aporripsi-tou-santikai-ta-scholia-remou-vandi-gia-noti/|title=The Voice: Η Βανδή "μαγνήτης" των ροκάδων, η απόρριψη του Σαντικάι, τα σχόλια Ρέμου-Βανδή για Νότη!|date=25 January 2014 |publisher=Tralala|access-date=25 January 2014}} During the battles, she performed "Hero" against Eva Kanata–with Despina crowning her as the winner.{{cite web|url=http://www.fimes.gr/2014/03/the-voice-battle/|title=The Voice: αυτοί είναι οι νικητές του πρώτου Battle|work=Φήμες |date=28 February 2014 |publisher=Fimes|access-date=1 March 2014 |author1=Dim }} In the second live show, she performed "I Have Nothing" and was saved by the public.{{cite web|url=http://www.yupiii.gr/gossip/c66098/The_Voice-To_deytero_live_Ola_ta_vinteo.html|title=Το δεύτερο live: Όλα τα βίντεο της βραδιάς|date=5 April 2014 |publisher=Yupiii|access-date=5 April 2014}} In the third live show, she performed "Den Eisai Edo" and was once again saved by the public along with Stelios Mayalios.{{cite web|url=http://www.yupiii.gr/gossip/c66412/The_Voice-Osa_eginan_sto_trito_live_Ola.html|title=Όσα έγιναν στο τρίτο live: Όλα τα βίντεο της βραδιάς|date=12 April 2014 |publisher=Yupiii|access-date=12 April 2014}} In the fourth live show, she performed "Hurt" and was saved by the public to proceed to the semi-final.{{cite web|url=http://www.yupiii.gr/gossip/c66701/The_Voice-Osa_eginan_sto_pasxalino_live_.html|title=The Voice – Όσα έγιναν στο πασχαλινό live show: Όλα τα βίντεο της βραδιάς|date=21 April 2014 |publisher=Yupiii|access-date=21 April 2014}} In the semi-final, she performed "Bleeding Love" for her solo performance and "Listen" for her duet with Mando.{{cite web|url=http://www.yupiii.gr/gossip/c67219/The_Voice-Osa_eginan_ston_hmiteliko_Ola.html|title=Όσα έγιναν στον ημιτελικό: Όλα τα βίντεο της βραδιάς|date=3 May 2014 |publisher=Yupiii|access-date=3 May 2014}} Kyriakou proceeded to the final after getting 60 points from her coach and 80 points from the public. Her song "Dio Egoismoi" was available on iTunes the day after the semi-final, on 3 May 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.ishow.gr/news/akoyste-katebaste-ta-4-nea-tragoydia-apo-toys-finalist-toy-thevoicegr/84252841|title=Ακούστε & κατεβάστε τα 4 νέα τραγούδια από τους φιναλίστ του #THEVOICEGR|publisher=iShow|date=3 May 2014|access-date=3 May 2014}} In the final she performed her original song "Dio Egoismoi" and a duet with her coach with the song "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)".{{cite web|url=http://peiraxtiri.gr/voice-telikos-ola-osa-eginan-ston-teliko/ |title=The Voice-Τελικός: Όλα όσα έγιναν στον Τελίκο! |publisher=Peiraxtiri |access-date=10 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514004812/http://peiraxtiri.gr/voice-telikos-ola-osa-eginan-ston-teliko/ |archive-date=14 May 2014 }} As she advanced to the second round along with Kosmidou and Kintatos, she performed "Because of You", the song she performed during the blind auditions. Kyriakou won the series and a record deal with Minos EMI.

Maria Elena Kyriakou won the Greek national final and represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Vienna, Austria.{{cite web|url=http://escxtra.com/2015/03/04/one-last-breath-to-eurovision/|title=Greece: "One Last Breath" to Eurovision|work=escXtra.com|last=Dunwoody|first=Peter|date=4 March 2015|access-date=4 March 2015}}

Kyriakou is one of the four children in her family among them the known Cypriot footballer Kyriacos Pavlou.{{cite web|url=http://showbizcy.com/index.php?id=45&hid=15161&cid=%CE%9A%CF%8D%CF%80%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%82&tag=%CE%B1%CE%B5%CE%BA%20the%20voice|title=Κούλλης Παύλου: Ο ποδοσφαιριστής αγκαλιά με την αδερφή του Μαρία Έλενα που μάγεψε στο The Voice|publisher=Showbizcy|access-date=27 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514053936/http://showbizcy.com/index.php?id=45&hid=15161&cid=%CE%9A%CF%8D%CF%80%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%82&tag=%CE%B1%CE%B5%CE%BA%20the%20voice|archive-date=14 May 2014|url-status=dead}} In 2006, she married Cypriot sports journalist Gregoris Gregoriou, with whom she has three children; Kyriakou and Gregoriou divorced in 2011.{{cite web|url=http://cynews.tv/%CE%BC%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%AF%CE%B1-%CE%AD%CE%BB%CE%B5%CE%BD%CE%B1-%CE%BA%CF%8D%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%B1%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%85-%CE%BC%CE%B5-%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%B9%CF%8C%CE%BD-%CE%B3%CE%BD%CF%89%CF%83%CF%84%CF%8C-%CE%BA/|title=Μαρία Έλενα Κύριακου: Με ποιόν γνωστό Κύπριο ήταν παντρεμένη η Kύπρια που μάγεψε το Voice|publisher=CY News|access-date=11 February 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514095908/http://cynews.tv/%CE%BC%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%AF%CE%B1-%CE%AD%CE%BB%CE%B5%CE%BD%CE%B1-%CE%BA%CF%8D%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%B1%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%85-%CE%BC%CE%B5-%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%B9%CF%8C%CE%BD-%CE%B3%CE%BD%CF%89%CF%83%CF%84%CF%8C-%CE%BA/|archive-date=14 May 2014|df=dmy-all}}

Image:20150515 ESC 2015 Maria Elena Kyriakou 6853.jpg" at Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna in the 2015 Contest.]]

Autumn 2015 Horis Esena (Without You) for the show with which it shares the same name.

;Featured in:

• 2015: "The Otherside" (Tamar Kaprelian featuring Elhaida Dani, Elina Born, Maria-Elena Kyriakou & Stephanie Topalian)[http://wiwibloggs.com/2015/06/23/tamar-kaprelian-releases-esc-collaboration-the-otherside/98570/ Wiwibloggs: Tamar Kaprelian releases ESC collaboration "The Otherside"][https://music.apple.com/ca/album/otherside-feat-elhaida-dani/1009189955 iTunes: "The Otherside"]

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| title= Winner of The Voice of Greece

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with "Rise Up"

| title= Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest

| years=2015

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with "Utopian Land"

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Category:1984 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century Cypriot women singers

Greece

Category:People from Larnaca District

Category:Greek Cypriots

Category:Minos EMI artists

Category:University of Cyprus alumni

Category:Modern Greek-language singers of Cyprus

Category:Eurovision Song Contest entrants