Mikis Theodorakis

The great Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis was born on the 29th of July, 1935 on the island of Chios. With his resistance activity he played a leading part in the most important events of the troubled Greek history of the 20th Century, and was thus exiled to the islands of Ikaria and Makronisos.

Mikis Theodorakis composes musical work for piano and orchestra, while, with the setting to music the "Epitafios" poems of Giannis Ritsos, he turns to the popular music and continues with tens of cycles of songs that find great effect on the Greek people.

Because of his great musical talent, his thinking, his struggles for human rights, and his courage as well, with which he faced the enormous challenges that he met with during his eventful life, Mikis Theodorakis has gained the respect of the whole world.

He wrote all the types of music: opera, classic music, light music, oratorio, ballet, chorus religious music, music for ancient drama, for theater, movies, folk songs of artistic quality and symphonic music. In 2000, he was nominated for the Peace Nobel Prize.

Mikis Theodorakis died on September 2nd 2021, aged 96.