Exclusive: Who is the Israeli producer behind the song written by Keren Peles and performed by Xannova Xan for Greece’s national final, with hopes to represent Greece at Eurovision 2026?
As revealed exclusively last week, Keren Peles — the singer-songwriter behind “Hurricane” and “New Day Will Rise,” Israel’s most recent symbols of Eurovision hope — has written a song for Greece’s national selection. Greek singer Xannova Xan, no stranger to Eurovision, will perform the song. She previously participated in last year’s Greek national final with “!Play It” finishing fifth, and moved audiences at Junior Eurovision 2005 with “Tora einai i seira mas” which placed sixth.
It can now be revealed that the song’s music producer is Tomer Biran, a veteran Israeli producer known for hits such as “Aba” by Shlomi Shabat, “Shevet Achim Ve’achayot,” and “New Day Will Rise,” which represented Israel at last year’s Eurovision.
Tomer Biran – Who Are You?
Born in 1976 in Ofakim, Tomer Biran made his breakthrough in the early 2000s producing for HaSaruf (“The burnt man”). He later worked with acclaimed Israeli artists including Shlomi Shabat, Shiri Maimon, and Amir Dadon, producing notable hits such as “Aba,” “Chelek Mimcha,” and “Or Gadol.”
In 2025, Biran produced “New Day Will Rise” for Yuval Raphael, which placed second at Eurovision and was also written by Keren Peles — making their ongoing collaboration a natural fit.
Biran is recognized internationally, having composed and produced music for major television series like “Sex and the City” and “The Sopranos.” His production style infuses Greek elements into the new song, crucially shaping its identity as a potential Greek entry for Eurovision.
Keren Peles’ Song
Created in collaboration between Euromix and Greek platform eurovisionfun, the song has already been submitted to Greece’s national broadcaster, ERT. Performed by Xannova Xan and produced by Tomer Biran, it’s described as a powerful ballad that distinctly carries Peles’ stylistic signature while embracing a contemporary, Eurovision-friendly sound.
The lyrics span both English and Greek; the Greek portion was penned by Poseidonas Giannopoulos — famed among Eurovision fans for writing “Secret Combination,” Greece’s third-place entry in 2008. If selected, it will mark the first time an Israeli songwriter has represented Greece at Eurovision.
Keren Peles’ Road to Eurovision 2026
Following last year’s successful revival of the open national selection — the first of its kind since 2003 — Greece’s broadcaster has decided to maintain the same format for 2026. This decision allows participation from artists not signed to Greek record labels, opening the door for creators like Keren Peles.
The 2026 selection will consist of three live shows: two semifinals and a grand final. A total of 28 songs will compete — 14 in each semifinal — with viewers alone deciding which seven songs from each semifinal advance to the final. The grand final will include 14 songs, with voting split evenly: 50% from the jury (divided between local and international panels) and 50% from the public televote, mirroring last year’s system.
The strong result achieved by Klavdia last year is expected to raise the bar for this year’s composers and performers. With Greece’s renewed motivation and a competitive lineup, Keren Peles will likely face tough competition on her path to potentially representing Greece at Eurovision 2026.
Greece at Eurovision 2025
“Asteromáta” (in English: “Eyes of Stars”) is the song performed by Klavdia, who represented Greece in the grand final of Eurovision 2025. Greece qualified for the grand final after placing fourth in the second semi-final with 112 points. In the grand final, Greece finished in sixth place with 231 points, with both the juries and the public awarding her eighth place.
This sixth-place finish is considered Greece’s best result since 2013, when the country also ranked sixth.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Greece’s 46th participation in Eurovision. Greece joined the competition in 1974 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2005 when singer Helena Paparizou won first place with the song “My Number One”.
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Ofek Jerassi is an Israeli reporter, editor, content creator, and commentator, specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He has developed his extensive expertise since childhood, becoming a close follower of the contest. For the past three years, he has served as a writer and editor for EuroMix—Israel’s largest Eurovision website and one of the world’s leading platforms in the field, with over 1.5 million users annually.
Ofek covered Eurovision 2025 on-site in Basel from the press center in the host city, providing EuroMix readers with firsthand experiences, professional analysis, and exclusive reactions from the audience, artists, and experts. His in-depth knowledge and broad familiarity with the Eurovision world are evident in every article, ensuring reliable, professional, and up-to-date content.
In his personal life, Ofek is a medic and avid traveler. He writes out of a genuine love for Eurovision, placing strong emphasis on credibility, professional commentary, and presenting a diverse range of opinions.
