Born on Chios, Greece, July 29, 1925
Died in Athens, Sept 2, 2021
- Theodorakis studied at the Athens Conservatory, followed by the Paris Conservatory under Olivier Messiaen and Eugène Bigot.
- As a composer, Theodorakis wrote symphonies, opera, chamber works, choral works, ballets, songs, and film scores. Within Greece, he is beloved for his contribution to art song (we wrote over 1,000!), and on an international level, he is best known for his film scores (most notably, Zorba the Greek).
- Theodorakis was actively involved in politics for all of his adult life.
- During the Greek Civil War, the composer was arrested, exiled, tortured, and barely escaped with his life. However, it was also during this harrowing period that he began writing his first symphony.
- Theodorakis served in the Greek parliament several times as a representative for the Communist Party. During the military coup d’état of 21 April 1967, Theodorakis was arrested and imprisoned (where he continued to compose). Thanks to pressure from famous artists around the world, including Shostakovich, Arthur Miller, and Laurence Olivier, Theodorakis was eventually released in 1970. 1
“His Marxist background and the physical and mental pain he and his fellow leftists had suffered during the Greek civil war gave Theodorakis a sense of moral purpose which infused all his work.”2
Grove Music Online
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Sources
- Gail Holst-Warhaft, “Theodorakis, Mikis,” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed April 28, 2023, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000027797.
- Ibid.