Lisa Andreas

Lisa Andreas (born 22 December 1987) is an English-Cypriot singer and performer. She is best known for representing Cyprus in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 at the age of 16. In that competition, she performed the ballad “Stronger Every Minute” and achieved an impressive fifth-place finish in the final. This strong result made her one of Cyprus’s most successful Eurovision entrants at the time. Lisa Andreas began singing as a young teenager and has continued to work in music and the performing arts from her early career through to the present day. She has also pursued other creative avenues, including dance and visual art, making her a versatile artist.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Lisa Andreas was born in Kent, England, as Lisa Large, to a British father and a Greek Cypriot mother. She spent part of her childhood in Cyprus – her family even christened her there – before returning to the UK and growing up in the town of Gillingham. Lisa showed an early talent for singing. At 11 years old, she surprised everyone by getting up to sing at a local pub’s karaoke night. After that first experience, she continued to sing and enter local contests. At age 13, she won a singing competition at The Strand venue in Gillingham. As a young teen, she performed at charity concerts and events, including shows to support children’s health charities and a fundraiser in London for the September 11th disaster relief.

These early performances helped Lisa gain experience and confidence on stage. She gradually moved from small local events – “singing in fields of mud” as she humorously described – to larger venues. She even got opportunities to share the stage with popular pop groups like Atomic Kitten and Damage in bigger concerts, which exposed her to wider audiences. During this period, Lisa Andreas also became a popular act at UK Pride festivals. She sang at events such as Leicester Pride and Manchester EuroPride, and performed in front of more than 25,000 people at the Cardiff Mardi Gras festival. These performances showed her ability to captivate large crowds. Lisa was active in her community as well – for example, she worked with the local Kent Police youth program by singing at “Snap” school shows to engage and educate young audiences. By her mid-teens, Lisa Andreas had built a solid foundation as a live singer, setting the stage for the biggest opportunity of her early career.

Eurovision 2004 – Representing Cyprus

Lisa Andreas’s Cypriot heritage became the key to her big break. In early 2004, Cyprus was holding a national selection for their Eurovision entry. Although Lisa was relatively unknown nationally, she entered the competition as a contestant. Cyprus selected Lisa Andreas to compete in Eurovision 2004 after she won the country’s national song contest with her power-ballad “Stronger Every Minute.” She was just 16 years old at the time, making her the youngest participant in the Eurovision Song Contest that year. The Eurovision finals were held in Istanbul, Turkey, in May 2004. Lisa performed alone on stage, without backing dancers or elaborate effects, letting her voice carry the song. Her entry “Stronger Every Minute” was an emotional ballad that showed off her strong vocals and maturity beyond her years. She first had to compete in the semi-final, where she successfully qualified for the grand final. In the grand final, Lisa Andreas delivered a confident performance for Cyprus and finished in 5th place. This result – scoring 170 points – was Cyprus’s best Eurovision placement in many years (and remained the country’s highest placement until 2018). 

Continuing Career After Eurovision

After her Eurovision achievement, Lisa Andreas first focused on finishing her education. She returned home and completed her secondary school exams (GCSEs) with good grades in 2004. Even while studying, she remained active in music. In the summer after Eurovision, she was invited to perform at the Stockholm Pride Eurovision party in Sweden, where she impressed the audience with her signature song “Stronger Every Minute”. Lisa also explored other aspects of performance. In 2005, she joined a female hip-hop dance troupe and appeared in shows at prestigious London theaters, including the London Palladium and Her Majesty’s Theatre. This experience allowed her to showcase her skills in dance as well as singing. She later spent time teaching at a dance school, sharing her performing arts knowledge with younger students.

Lisa Andreas continued to seek new opportunities in music. In 2006, she was invited as a guest performer at the Cypriot national final for Eurovision, marking 25 years of Cyprus in the contest. The following year, in 2007, she auditioned for the popular British TV talent show The X Factor. She successfully passed the first audition and made it through to the second round of the competition. Although she did not advance further on The X Factor, it was another valuable experience that kept her in the public eye.

Trinity Laban

After these ventures, Lisa decided to expand her formal training in the arts. She enrolled at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London. There, she pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Voice and Musical Theatre and graduated with that qualification. During her time at Trinity Laban, Lisa also delved into musical theatre and creative production. She and a few classmates formed their own small theatre company and co-wrote an original musical, which enjoyed a successful three-week sold-out run on stage. This project highlighted her talents not only as a singer and actress but also as a writer and producer. In addition, Lisa worked as a session vocalist (recording vocals for music projects) and performed in various musical productions after college. She balanced singing with dancing and acting roles, becoming a well-rounded performer.

Lisa Andreas also released new music in the years following Eurovision. For example, in 2012 she recorded a dance-pop song titled “Hypnotized,” which was featured on a compilation album. A remixed version of “Hypnotized” was later released in 2015. These releases showed that she was still active as a recording artist, exploring contemporary pop and electronic music styles. 

Recent Activities and Current Life

In 2014, Lisa Andreas moved to the United States to start a new chapter of her life. She settled in Arizona, where she now lives with her family. After getting married, she adopted the name Lisa Jayne Porter in her personal life, although she is still often recognized as Lisa Andreas from her Eurovision days. In the U.S., Lisa has continued to engage in artistic and musical pursuits. She has become a mixed media artist, creating abstract paintings and other artwork, alongside her work in music. This transition into visual art demonstrates her creative versatility.

Music remains an important part of Lisa’s life. In 2021, she made a special release of her Eurovision song “Stronger Every Minute” on digital music platforms for the first time, including the original English version and a bilingual English/Greek version of the track. Lisa expressed that she was “thrilled” for people to finally be able to stream and enjoy the song easily. She has also said that she continues to write new songs and looks forward to performing live again. After a pause in live events due to global circumstances in 2020, she stated her hope to get back on stage as the world opened up again.