Born in Hungary to Greek parents originating from Alexandria, Egypt, she has been a leading name in the hungarian art scene for over three decades. More importantly, she is widely recognized as an artist-ambassador of greek and hungarian cultures.

She confesses that she never agreed to change her greek last name, even when her teachers at the State Theater School in Budapest urged her to do so, fearing that it might hinder her career advancement. She always used to reply that an artist is not determined by his name.

A book about A. Papadimitriou is already out in Hungary. Titled “Athina- Touch, feeling, stories of her life”, it was written by famous Hungarian author Janos Perjes, who has known the temperamental artist since her very first appearances on stage and hoped to cast light on certain moments of her life.

Her parents lived in Alexandria until they were separated by World War II. Her father fought on England’s side and later participated in the greek Civil War. In 1949 he left for Hungary, where he settled permanently. Her mother, Kallistheni Gialouri, remained in Alexandria and was not reunited with her husband until 1951.

For the last few years, Athina Papadimitirou has worked at Budapest’s famous «Operettsunhaz», where each of her performances is considered a special event, while she has also released two albums with her songs. She never fails to respond to every request by the Greek community in Hungary, attending all kinds of events. Meanwhile, she participates, together with Helectra Agarti, in a greek television program on Hungarian state channel 1.

Athina Papadimitriou has lost her parents and brother, but the family’s heritage is preserved by her three daughters. Although they do not share the Papadimitriou name, they speak perfect greek and often visit Greece, where they maintain strong relationships with relatives and friends.