Mikis Theodorakis

Mikis Theodorakis
Theodorakis conducting the orchestra in concert at Cultural Center "Fabrik" in Hamburg, 1971
Born
Michail Theodorakis

(1925-07-29)29 July 1925
Chios, Second Hellenic Republic
Died2 September 2021(2021-09-02) (aged 96)
Athens, Greece
Resting placeGalatas Cemetery, Chania, Crete
Occupations
  • Composer
  • political activist
Political partyKKE
Other political
affiliations		New Democracy (1989–1993)
Spouse
Myrto Altinoglou
​
(m. 1953)​
Children2
Musical career
Genres20th-century classical music
Years active1943–2013
Labels
Member of the Hellenic Parliament
In office
1964–1967
In office
1981–1986
In office
1989–1993
Minister of State
In office
11 April 1990 – 1 April 1993
Prime MinisterKonstantinos Mitsotakis
Websitewww.mikistheodorakis.gr

Michail "Mikis" Theodorakis (Greek: Μιχαήλ "Μίκης" Θεοδωράκης [mixaˈil ˈmicis θeoðoˈracis]; 29 July 1925 – 2 September 2021)[1] was a Greek composer and lyricist credited with over 1,000 works.[2][3][4][5][6]

He scored for the films Zorba the Greek (1964), Z (1969), and Serpico (1973). He was a three-time BAFTA nominee, winning for Z.[7] For the score in Serpico, he earned Grammy nominations.[8] Furthermore, for the score to Zorba the Greek, with its song "Zorba's Dance", he was nominated for a Golden Globe.[9]

He composed the "Mauthausen Trilogy", also known as "The Ballad of Mauthausen", which has been described as the "most beautiful musical work ever written about the Holocaust" and possibly his best work.[10] Up until his death, he was viewed as Greece's best-known living composer.[3][5][11] He was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize.[12]

Politically, he was associated with the left because of his long-standing ties to the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). He was an MP for the KKE from 1981 to 1990. Despite this, however, he ran as an independent candidate within the centre-right New Democracy party in 1989, in order for the country to emerge from the political crisis that had been created due to the numerous scandals of the government of Andreas Papandreou.[13] He helped establish a large coalition between conservatives, socialists and leftists. In 1990, he was elected to the parliament (as in 1964 and 1981), became a government minister under Konstantinos Mitsotakis, and fought against drugs and terrorism and in favor of culture and education. He continued to speak out in favour of leftist causes, Greek–Turkish–Cypriot relations, and against the War in Iraq.[14][15] He was a key voice against the 1967–1974 Greek junta, which imprisoned him and banned his songs.[16]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference BBC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ John Chrysochoos, Ph.D. (17 November 2010). Ikaria – Paradise in Peril. Dorrance Publishing. p. 24. ISBN 978-1-4349-8240-7. Retrieved 1 November 2012. Theodorakis the internationally renowned Greek composer
  3. ^ a b Maura Ellyn; Maura McGinnis (1 August 2004). Greece: A Primary Source Cultural Guide. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-8239-3999-2. Retrieved 1 November 2012. Considered Greece's greatest living composer, Theodorakis has written many scores.
  4. ^ Athensnews Interview: Theodorakis' call to arms Famous composer Theodorakis addresses protesters during a rally against a new austerity package, outside the University of Athens, in 2011 Archived 3 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ a b Mike Gerrard (3 March 2009). National Geographic Traveler: Greece, 3rd Edition. National Geographic Society. pp. 47–. ISBN 978-1-4262-0396-1. Retrieved 1 November 2012. The most famous Greek musician of contemporary times is undoubtedly Mikis Theodorakis (born 1925), best known for
  6. ^ "Embassy of Greece International conference honors renowned composer Mikis Theodorakis' 80th birthday An international conference dedicated to the work of famous music composer Mikis Theodorakis in honor of his 80th birthday, kicked off on Friday in Hania, Crete". Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  7. ^ "BAFTA - Mikis Theodorakis". 13 September 2021.
  8. ^ "GRAMMY AWARDS - Mikis Theodorakis".
  9. ^ "GOLDEN GLOBES - Mikis Theodorakis".
  10. ^ Αντωνης Μποσκοιτης (2 February 2015). "Αφιέρωμα στη Μπαλάντα του Μάουτχάουζεν του Μίκη Θεοδωράκη και του Ιάκωβου Καμπανέλλη Το ωραιότερο μουσικό έργο για το Ολοκαύτωμα που γράφτηκε ποτέ". Lifo.gr. Retrieved 27 December 2015. Google translation: "A Tribute to Ballad of Mauthausen Mikis Theodorakis and Iakovos Kambanellis The finest musical work about the Holocaust ever written."
  11. ^ Dimitris Keridis (28 July 2009). Historical Dictionary of Modern Greece. Scarecrow Press. pp. 150–. ISBN 978-0-8108-5998-2. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  12. ^ Yearbook of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (in Russian). Moscow: Sovetskaya Enciklopediya. 1983
  13. ^ Theodorakis: Οι δρόμοι του αρχάγγελου V / The Ways of the Archangel, Autobiography, Volume V, p. 331 sq
  14. ^ "Official Website". En.mikis-theodorakis.net. 27 July 2004. Archived from the original on 19 December 2017.
  15. ^ "Official Website". En.mikis-theodorakis.net. 15 September 2005. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012.
  16. ^ Theodorakis: Journal of Resistance