"… a Mediterranean cruise up the Yangtze!"
-- Wig
Folk Alliance International (FAI) 37th Annual Conference
Montréal, Québec, Canada
February 19 - 23, 2025
As a multilingual global fusion singer and musician I will be attending the next Folk Alliance International (FAI) 37th Annual Conference to take place February 19 - 23, 2025 at the Le Centre Sheraton Montréal Hotel in Montréal, Québec, Canada. I will be presenting my global music private showcase performances as well as a diverse selection of fabulous artists in the Chairman George Productions Private Showcase room.
The FAI Conference is the world’s largest gathering of the folk music community and industry and the annual February conference draws over 3,000 artists and industry dedicated to folk music. The FAI is an international arts nonprofit and NEA-designated National Arts Service Organization based in Kansas City, Missouri, USA and exists to keep the tradition of folk music thriving through preservation, presentation, and promotion. Unity is Diversity!
George works continuously to perfect the art using his abundant capacities to help bring people together in a merry way He combines his creative songwriting, his animated energy, his vibrant, heart-touching voice, and his love of everyone to connect with the audience and to connect the audience members with each other. He presents songs sung warmly and fluently in many languages from many cultures to highlight the beauty of human diversity, and in doing so, subtly hints at the potential for us all to be a part of human unity - and all while we are having an engaging and delightful time. If George is performing near you, don't miss the opportunity for you and your family to experience this excellent adventure.
-- Bill Kelly NewPower99
His use of language unifies people from many cultures. He is certainly a unique and cherished member of the global entertainment community. Not just a musician but a performance artist.
-- Stuart Whitney
Chairman George
A rock bouzouki-playing Greek Canadian ex-civil servant with a PhD in statistics who is a star in China.
1 billion fans can’t be wrong:
In China, George is Elvis.
In Canada, George is Greek.
About Chairman George
World music? Try worlds music. Award winning Greek-Canadian singer, songwriter, band leader and recording artist George Sapounidis aka 'Chairman' George has been called a poster boy for Canadian multiculturalism and is a polyglot who sings international folksongs in more than 15 languages. Born and raised in Canada with Greek roots in Asia Minor, he performed earlier in his career under the Greek moniker Ouzo Power, then later as ‘Chairman’ George to audiences in the world's most populous nation: 40 performance tours of China in 25 cities including at the Beijing Summer Olympic Games, the Great Hall of the People, the Forbidden City Concert Hall and on stage beside some of China's pop and classical music icons. In 2015 he reached the finals of a nationally televised musical competition in Beijing viewed by tens of millions of Chinese viewers. He is two-time subject of Canadian CTV-BBC and Chinese television documentaries, two-time Athens and Beijing Olympics Torch Bearer and two-time nominee for Best World Music at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. In 2018 he and his band released the groundbreaking Greek-Chinese fusion album Bringing the Greek Party to China! at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Canada.
During the summers of 2021-2023 Chairman George expanded his repertoire by creating a multilingual extravaganza called the Global Songalong developed by appearing seated on a bench on a walking path at Britannia Park in Ottawa and giving impromptu displays of songs in multiple languages for passers-by. People from all over the world would stop to listen to songs from their culture. It was a magical moment when Chairman George performed a Persian folksong for the former mayor of Kabul, Afghanistan. Unity. It’s in short supply at the moment. Enter Chairman George, to bring cultures, civilizations and worlds new and old together. Join Chairman George for a musical world tour, no flight tickets required! George Sapounidis holds a Ph.D. in mathematical statistics from the University of Toronto, Canada.
关于乔治主席
作为屡获殊荣的希腊裔加拿大歌唱家、作曲家、音乐家以及乐队主唱，乔治主席在中国25个城市为成千上万的观众们送去了40场精彩的巡演，其中包括在北京夏季奥运会上和人民大会堂的演出。2015年，他成功晋级到被上千万中国观众关注的中央电视台“我要上春晚”节目的决赛中。中加两国曾分别拍摄以乔治主席为主题的纪录片，并且他在希腊和北京奥运会火炬传递中都担任了火炬手。他在中国与二胡表演艺术家马晓慧同台，也在加拿大与中国广播与电影交响乐团一同演出，更是受到北京市政府的邀请，在位于加拿大首都渥太华的2017北京周中演唱了他的原创作品《北京渥太华友好城市之歌》。在他的家乡希腊雅典，乔治主席主持了2018年以《奥运之城，思路相连》为主题的活动，并演唱了北京奥运会主题曲《北京欢迎你》。2018年10月，乔治主席乐队的新唱片《希腊派对席卷中国》在渥太华国家艺术中心正式发布。乔治主席拥有多伦多大学数学统计学的博士学位。
