Composer Jim Papoulis co-founded the Foundation for Small Voices, which was officially launched with its first Sounds of a Better World concert at Carnegie Hall in January 2000. FSV is greatly inspired by Jim’s dedication to children and music. In addition to teaching songwriting workshops globally for FSV, he donates his composer royalties back to FSV, in addition to a significant portion of his time and talent to children by composing music with and for them, that can be enjoyed by many.
Jim is known for work that combines contemporary, classical, and world sounds, and for his choral work which is often sung from the perspective of the singer. He has made significant contributions to choral music, revitalizing the choral repertoire with songs whose roots are classical and world, incorporating many genres and styles with vocal percussion and world rhythms.
Through FSV, Jim has conducted songwriting workshops with choirs throughout the United States and the world, in such countries as China, Japan, Tanzania, Mexico, Kenya, Dominican Republic, Haiti, England, Norway, Canada, France, Ireland, Bosnia, Jordan, Australia, Dubai, and Greece. He has been particularly inspired by his work with youth who have come face to face with adversity in their young lives, and has equally enjoyed and benefitted from extensive work with high-level children’s choirs from all over and outside the country.
Jim has conducted regional and state festivals, in addition to conference honor choirs, throughout the United States. He has served as composer-in-residence at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music with the Cincinnati Children’s Choir for their annual Queen City Festival since 2007, has served as composer-in-residence for the Choral Music Experience Workshop with Janet Galvan at Ithaca College, and was the keynote speaker at the Ontario Music Educators convention in 2014. Together with Sophia Papoulis, he has created, designed, and presented Professional Development seminars in Canada, Florida, Delaware, Connecticut, Virginia, Massachusetts, and New York.
Jim’s extensive professional and not-for-profit travels enable him to bring his distinctive musical and conducting style to performances across a broad spectrum of musical styles. He actively seeks to immerse himself in the music, instruments, and culture indigenous to an area, and incorporates these elements into his work.
Beyond working with children from all walks of life, he has conducted many orchestras throughout the world, such as the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, and London Symphony. He has also worked with such great artists as Aretha Franklin, Shania Twain, Celine Dion, Beyonce, Faith Hill, Natalie Cole, and Snoop Dogg.
Jim‘s music has been featured at the Beijing Olympics, September 11th Anniversary Memorial Concerts throughout the world, the 2008 Presidential Inauguration, the Papal Visit to Yankee Stadium, and the World Cup in South Africa. He is also honored that his composition, Give Us Hope, which has been sung all over the globe annually on September 11, has now been adopted by the 9/11 Museum as an ever-present fixture, and can be heard as visitors exit the last room of the museum.
Awards: The Brizzolara Family’s Most Inspirational Film at The Hampton’s International Film Festival ‘04 ( The Untold Story of Emmett Till ), Winner Best Feature, Arizona International Film Festival ‘04, Special Recognition, Prada Fdn., Tribeca Film Festival ‘04, Best Selection Avignon/NY Film Festival ‘04 ( Lustre ), Four Telly Awards for excellence in industrial composition 2005; The Young People’s Chorus of NYC Artistic Honoree Award ‘05; University of Miami School of Music Alumni of Distinction ‘04, Five Tellys in ‘04, Metro Mass Choir Inspiration Award ‘03, National Association of Composers awards for Philopoly (flute choir) & Ghost (string quartet), and two Clios.