George Kotsinis is a musician, writer, cultural expert, music producer and organizer of cultural events.

 

Apprenticeship

He is an active member of the Stratinistas community of Pogoni, Ioannina, where he is from and was initiated into traditional music (he was honored in 2024 for his work by the Panpogonisian Federation).

He apprenticed with leading practical folk instrumentalists, such as Vasilis Batzis, Tasos Chalkias, Petros Loukas Chalkias, Nikos Filippidis, Aristides Vasilaris, etc.

Graduated in traditional clarinet, Diploma in Byzantine Music, he also studied Eastern Music and kanunaki in the class of Agnes Agopian and harmony with Tony Giorgatos.

He has studied Greek Culture at the Hellenic Open University

For many years he taught clarinet at the Musical High Schools – Lyceums of Pallini, Alimos and Ilios. With a rich educational activity in traditional music and dance seminars, he has collaborated in this field with the University of Macedonia, the Kapodistrian University of Athens, the Democritus University of Thrace, the Sibelius Academy of Finland, the Athens Conservatory and numerous cultural associations in Greece and abroad. Since 2023 he has been teaching at the University of Ioannina – Department of Music Studies. He is also Artistic Director of the Traditional Music Department at the “Philippos Nakas” Conservatory, where he also teaches traditional clarinet.

As a result of long-term systematic research, he has written over 7500 digital scores in stave and Byzantine notation.

He has also written two books:

Kotsinis, G., (2008), Melismata – the art of the Greek clarinet in twenty-nine musical recordings of traditional purposes, Athens: F. Nakas.

Kotsinis, G., (2017), Avanti Maestro. Music through the Shadow Theatre. Athens: Papagrigoriou – Nakas.

He regularly writes articles for the magazine “Music and Musicians” (magazine of the collective rights management organization for Greek musicians “Apollon”)

He has participated in traditional music concerts and recordings in Greece and abroad (USA, Cuba, Australia, China and in almost all European countries), in collaboration with the main institutions (Lyceum of Greek Women of Athens, Greek Dance Theater “Dora Stratou”, Association for the Promotion of Our National Music – Simonos Kara, etc.), researchers (Lambros Liavas, Giorgos Papadakis, Markos Dragoumis, Nikos Dionysopoulos, etc.) and singers of the field (Domna Samiou, Chronis Aidonidis, Alekos Kitsakis, Vassilis Serpezis, etc.).

He has collaborated in performances and recordings with prominent singers (Haris Alexiou, Dimitra Galani, Eleftheria Arvanitaki, Lakis Chalkias, Dionysis Savvopoulos, etc.) and has collaborated as a soloist with major orchestras, such as the ERT Contemporary Music Orchestra. A highlight was his participation as a soloist in the opening ceremony of the 2004 Olympic Games.

He collaborated with Greek Television, having the artistic and musical supervision of the traditional music program series “Emeis oi lalitades” (1996).

He has a constant collaboration as a musical curator with the Greek Dance Theater “Dora Stratou” and is a key member of the Greek Music Archive (AEM).

Discography

In addition to playing the clarinet, he has edited a multitude of records, sometimes taking on the artistic direction, musical editing, text editing, as well as the organization and execution of production.

Collaboration in cinema and theater

Choursoglou, P., (1993), Lefteris Dimakopoulos. Four awards at the Greek State Film Awards, as well as the best film award at the Greek Film Critics Association Awards.

Charalambous, K., (2011), Tied Red Thread.

Theater

He participated as an actor and musician in Eleni Gasouka’s play (2017), Vouva.

Musical Groups.

In addition to his own “Zygia” (George Kotsinis’ company), he has created with the help of distinguished collaborators: the Epirus Musical Ensemble, the Gyalí Kafené Project and the Mastiha Ensemble (Ionia).

He is a member of the jazz ensemble Suite Grecque with the distinguished pianist Chris Jarrett and of the traditional music orchestra “Thria” of the municipality of Aspropyrgos.

He has signed notable performances, both as artistic director, as a scientific advisor and researcher, as well as as responsible for technical guidance and expertise, the selection and editing of texts and musicians.

For a number of years he was artistic director of the “Aidonidia” festival of the Municipality of Vrilissia.