Μake us preferred on Google Greek singer Giorgos Perris will represent Cyprus at the 71st Eurovision Song Contest, scheduled to take place in May 2027 in Burgas, Bulgaria, the country’s public broadcaster, the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (RIK), has announced.
Perris was chosen through an evaluation process organized by RIK, with the participation of expert committees from Cyprus and abroad.
The broadcaster has also launched an open call for composers, lyricists and other creators from Cyprus and overseas to submit songs for the country’s entry. Proposals can be submitted through a dedicated online platform until midnight on Sunday, December 13.
Songs shortlisted for the final stage will be presented during a special live television program. The winning entry will be determined through a combination of public voting and a jury, each accounting for 50% of the final result, RIK said.
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Perris says representing Cyprus is a great honor
In his first comments following the announcement, on the television program Apogevma Mazi, Perris said he had learned about the decision only minutes before it was made public.
“I was absolutely thrilled. It brought me so much joy. It is a great honor and joy to represent Cyprus in a competition I have followed for as long as I can remember,” he said.
The singer pledged to give his best and represent the country with “as much truth as I have within me, courage and a great deal of love for Cyprus,” which he described as his second home for many years.
Perris also said he would like to perform a powerful, emotional ballad at Eurovision, describing the genre as his natural musical territory.
“There is a lot of work ahead. I need to throw myself into it. I already have some ideas and a few things in mind. Now we need to focus and get down to work,” he said.
“I would like to go with a ballad. That is my style, it is what I specialize in and something I love. I imagine we will find the right ballad.”
Who is Giorgos Perris?
Born in Athens on August 24, 1983, Perris is the son of a Greek father and a Greek-French mother, writer Joelle Lopinot-Mastrantoni. He began taking piano lessons at the age of four and started performing at school events and music venues while still young.
At 18, he was discovered by Greek composer and pianist Mimis Plessas, who invited him to join a tour across Greece and Cyprus. He later worked with composer Giannis Spanos and singers Eleni Vitali and Eleni Dimou.
Perris released his debut album, Kainourgia Mou Mera (My New Day), in 2005. It featured compositions by Stefanos Korkolis, lyrics by Revekka Roussi and a song written specifically for him by Plessas.
In May 2006, his song “Karavani” was included in a CD released by French Radio, featuring 20 international artists. His second album, Pairno Anasa (I Take a Breath), followed in 2008.
That same year, singer Marios Frangoulis invited him to perform at Athens Arena, where he shared the stage with international artists including Lara Fabian, Lucio Dalla, Justin Hayward, Madeleine Peyroux and Deborah Myers.
His international performances continued in 2009, when he appeared in London with Oxford Philharmonic and made his first solo appearances in the United States at Boston’s Ryles Jazz Club. Later that year, Fabian invited him to open concerts during her European tour, including performances at the Zénith in Paris. He subsequently appeared in Kyiv with the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra and in St. Petersburg.
In 2010, Perris toured the United States with Frangoulis as part of The Light of Greece, performing at New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center. He also appeared at Place des Arts in Montreal as a guest of Canadian composer Stephan Moccio.
The following year, he performed in Toronto with the Niagara Falls Symphony and Moccio, as well as in Monaco, Turkey and Cyprus. His international collaborations also included the vocal group Women of the World, with whom he released the single “Humana” in 2011.
In 2012, he released Un Souhait, his first solo French-language album in Canada. The record featured songs written by French and Canadian composers, including Moccio, Frédéric Baron, Marc Dupré and Matt Herskowitz, as well as a duet with Fabian.
Perris continued performing internationally, including a concert with the Boston Pops at Boston Symphony Hall in June 2012, conducted by Keith Lockhart. The concert also featured Greek singer Alkistis Protopsalti and New Zealand soprano Hayley Westenra.
His more recent work includes the 2025 album Mazi i Kanis (Together or Not at All), featuring songs by established and emerging Greek songwriters, including Mariza Rizou, Nikos Moraitis, Gerasimos Evangelatos, Stavros Siolas, Lida Roumani and Pavlina Voulgaraki. He has also recorded Greek-language versions of songs by international collaborators Tina Arena, Eric Rosse and Barbara Pravi.
In an earlier interview with BHMAgazino, Perris spoke about the importance of hard work and perseverance in building a musical career, saying that talent alone was not enough.
“I learned over the years that luck also plays a major role. It is what we call being in the right place at the right time. Of course, if you have not worked very hard, even if the moment comes, you will not be able to seize the opportunity,” he said.
He also described the importance of remaining faithful to his personal values and artistic identity, saying he wanted to stay true to the dream he had as a child.
