Eliane Elias

Origin

São Paulo, SP

Years Active

1975

Genres

jazz, bossa nova, latin jazz, MPB, classical music

Instruments

piano, vocals, keyboard

Biography

Eliane Elias is a renowned Brazilian pianist, singer, composer, and arranger who has established a prominent international career by blending jazz and Brazilian music. Born in São Paulo, she began playing piano at a young age, influenced by her classical pianist mother, and later studied at the Centro Livre de Aprendizagem Musical (CLAM) under Amilton Godói. In her youth, she performed original compositions and notably worked alongside legendary Brazilian artists such as Toquinho and Vinicius de Moraes.

After moving to New York in the early 1980s, Elias joined the fusion band Steps Ahead and subsequently collaborated with numerous jazz greats, including Randy Brecker and Marc Johnson. Over the decades, she has released over thirty albums, earning multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy awards and nominations for acclaimed projects like Made in Brazil, Dance of Time, and Mirror Mirror. Her sophisticated artistry continues to bridge Brazilian musical traditions with instrumental jazz and classical influences.

Discography

• Marina Brandão, Benjamin Taubkin, Eliane Elias, Antonio Bruno, Wilson Mauro, Paulo Cesar Gomes, Pietro Maranca – Um Piano ao Cair da Tarde - Nacional - Volume 5 (1983)
• Randy Brecker & Eliane Elias – Amanda (1985)
• Illusions (1987)
• Cross Currents (1988)
• So Far So Close (1989)
• Eliane Elias Plays Jobim (1990)
• A Long Story (1991)
• Fantasia (1992)
• Paulistana (1993)
• On The Classical Side (1993)
• Solos And Duets (1995)
• The Three Americas (1997)
• Eliane Elias, Bob Brookmeyer & The Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra – Impulsive! - The Music Of Eliane Elias (1997)
• Eliane Sings Jobim (1998)
• Everything I Love (1999)
• Manhattan (2002)
• Kissed By Nature (2002)
• Eliane Elias, Dave Grusin, Herbie Hancock, Bob James, Brad Mehldau – Portrait Of Bill Evans (2002)
• Steps Ahead − Mike Mainieri, Bob Berg, Eliane Elias, Marc Johnson (2), Peter Erskine – Holding Together (Live In Europe 1999) (2002)
• Kissed By Nature (Sampler) (2002)
• Dreamer (2004)
• Around The City (2006)
• Around The City Sampler (2006)
• Something For You (Eliane Elias Sings & Plays Bill Evans) (2007)
• Runnin (2007)
• Bossa Nova Stories (2008)
• Eliane Elias Plays Live (2009)
• Light My Fire (2011)
• Marc Johnson (2) / Eliane Elias – Swept Away (2012)
• I Thought About You (2013)
• Made In Brazil (2015)
• Dance Of Time (2017)
• Music From Man Of La Mancha (2018)
• Love Stories (2019)
• Mirror Mirror (2021)
• Quietude (2022)
• Time And Again (2024)
• Ao Vivo (2026)
• Ao Vivo (Live) (2026)