Get ready for our next episode of The Piano Pod: The Embodied Pianist with Elena Riu — pianist, groundbreaking recording artist, educator, and yoga/mindfulness teacher.

In this powerful conversation, we explore embodied performance, somatics, breath, creativity, cultural identity, and even the menstrual cycle as a source of artistic insight. Elena’s work challenges long-held assumptions about what pianists should play, how they should train, and how the body shapes sound.

In this episode, Elena and I talk about:

• ✅ Her journey from Venezuela to the UK — and how navigating multiple identities shaped her artistry
• ✅ The creation of Salsa Nueva and the importance of commissioning new works