Yanna was born in Thessaloniki, Greece in 1966. An educator, concert pianist, conductor, accompanist, coach and proud grandmother of four beautiful girls.


Her musical heritage transcends the traditions of her family’s ancestry (Asia Minor), the diversity of her musical education and her parents’ unusual taste in music which encompassed anything from Sinatra and Theodorakis to Wagner and Verdi.


Yanna is an experienced and eclectic pianist. In 1987 she was awarded the Dimitri Sgouros ‘Prize and Scholarship’ by the New Conservatory of Thessaloniki from where she graduated in 1988 with a ‘Diploma for Piano Performance and Teaching’. In the same year, she won a competition to represent Greece in the senior category at the ‘Jugend Musiziert’ competition in Frankfurt.


From 1988-1990 Yanna studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London where she was fortunate to be awarded the Cipriani Potter Exhibition prize in her second year as a student in the ‘Advanced Studies’ postgraduate course. Yanna studied piano with Hamish Milne, conducting with Denise Ham, Chamber Music with Malcolm Martineau and graduated with the 'Diploma of Advanced Studies' in 1990. An influential figure John Streets MBE FRAM; a distinguished musician with expertise in French song and a hugely supportive tutor.


Yanna was accepted at the Eastman School of Music, U.S.A. in 1991 where she studied piano with Jeffrey Kahane. It was there that she expanded her musical horizons and forged lifelong friendships. During an internship at the Montessori School of Rochester, Yanna carved new paths in the delivery of music education inspired by the inclusivity and freedom of the Montessori education system. At ESM, she was fortunate to accompany many fellow musicians and play a vast amount of chamber music. She gained her Master’s in ‘Piano Performance and Literature’ in 1993.


Yanna taught the piano in Greece since she was 16 years old and continued in the U.S.A. and UK for a few years until she decided to venture out as a secondary school music teacher and a Head or Director of Music in seven different schools across the UK until 2016 when she decided to retire from classroom teaching. During her teaching years Yanna conducted numerous Musicals such as Sweeney Todd, West Side Story, and Les Miserables. She introduced music tours abroad with a large number of students and held large-scale concerts in Gloucester Cathedral. She returned to piano teaching briefly for a few months before eventually deciding to relocate to Greece in 2023.


As a co-Director of the first 'Sani Classic' festival, alongside Directors Caroline Lumsden and Mina Apostollidis in Halkidiki Greece, in 1994, Yanna was privileged to work with and perform with a 78-strong International Youth Orchestra and other international artists: pianist Giorgos Lazarides, soprano Julia Souglakou and cellist Emma Denton.


Yanna worked both as an accompanist and conductor with amateur and student choirs some of which she created out of her love of choral music. She has supported and promoted young musicians throughout her career something she hopes to continue doing.


In 2018 Yanna co-founded ANIMO, an innovative flute and piano duo, with flautist Sarah Waycott. During the 30+ years of living in the UK, Yanna created 5 chamber music ensembles, all based on the idea of collaboration, connecting through music, and performing music without labels and limitations.


Both at home in intimate and grand scale settings, Yanna believes in letting music speak for itself and directly to the audience. She enjoys creating concerts in unusual spaces such as Clearwell Caves in 2023, a farewell to the UK concert with friends, music colleagues and family present.


She now lives near Thessaloniki with her dog Molly where she hopes she can continue to play music with friends just for fun!
  • Thermi, Greece

You can always contact me directly on my email: yzissiadou@gmail.com Have a great day!

  •  08/12/2024 04:00 PM
  •   620 Attercliffe Rd, Sheffield S9 3QS, United Kingdom

ANIMO are teaming up with one of their biggest fans and wonderful amateur singer Lindsey Barkham, to present a programme of 'Christmas with a twist'. Sarah, Yanna and Lindsey will entertain you with famous seasonal favourites, monologues and surprising twists! Carvery starts at 5:30 pm Concert starts at 7:30 pm Ticket information will appear closer to the date.

  •  14/12/2024 07:00 AM
  •   27 Newland St, Coleford GL16 8AJ, United Kingdom

ANIMO and the Drybrook and District Ladies Choir, a festive Christmas concert! Coleford Baptist Church at TBC , TBC It is with great joy that ANIMO are teaming-up with The Drybrook and District Ladies Choir for this festive Christmas concert in Coleford. Coleford Baptist Chursh is one of the best music venues in the Forest of Dean. ANIMO are really looking forward to performing our most beloved Christmas pieces and joining in with the DDLC for a moving finale. This festive concert is a wonderful opportunity to play with old friends. Yanna used to play the piano for the DDLC. Together they created the Margaret Rose Bursary which awards a cash prize to one gifted musician each year. Sarah was a recipient of the MRB and has since performed with the DDLC as a guest artist. This is a seminal concert for all artists involved and one that we hope will bring warmth and delight to all. SAVE THE DATE! December 14th 2024, time and tickets to be announced closer to the date.

  •  02/11/2024 05:30 PM
  •   Nea Gonia, Greece

A unique opportunity to experience the sound of two handmade pianos in a concert at the famous IOANNIDIS 'Handmade Piano' workshop. Musicians from Austria (Evelyne Leeb and Waltraud Wulz) and Greece (Maroula Theofilou and Yanna Zisiadou) are performing together in this afternoon concert on November 2nd in Nea Gonia to showcase a diverse and enchanting repertoire of music from Jazz to Pop and Classical to Folk. The master piano builder Panos Ioannidis will start the programme taking us on a journey of the piano sound and the senses that evolve from it. Following his introduction you will listen to music written and arranged fro two pianos, saxophone solo and saxophone and piano, voice and piano, and cello and piano, all chosen to suit the relaxed mood of the concert. Seats are limited but entry is free with an EVENTBRITE ticket (limited to 4 tickets per transaction). Parking is free around the village. A finger buffet and free bar will be available during the interval. We look forward to welcoming you on November 2nd, 2024 at 5:30 p.m.

  • £20
  •  07/10/2023 07:30 PM
  •   Clearwell, Coleford, UK

A magical Candlelit concert at Clearwell Caves, in the SOUND CHAMBER Cavern.

  •  06/07/2023 09:00 PM
  •   Thessaloniki Concert Hall, Thessaloniki, Greece

PRANASA goes to Greece - a lifestory story told through music

  •  07/05/2023 10:00 AM
  •   Gallneukirchen, Austria

Waltraud Wulz and Yanna Zissiadou are performing with friends and colleauges in a concert celebrating the connectivity of music and art

  •  15/01/2023 03:00 PM
  •   Church Street, St Briavels, Lydney, UK

An afternoon of glorious music with ANIMO as part of Wye Valley Music's chamber music series.