We are saddened and moved by the death of one of the greatest personalities of modern Greek history, Mikis Theodorakis, to whom we now bid farewell. Renowned as a composer, a conductor, a fighter, Theodorakis was one of the pillars of contemporary Greek identity from the Metapolitefsi period onwards (1974-), one of the leading, most prolific and influential representatives of Greece both inside the country and around the world.

An iconic figure of Greek Music, whose visionary, vast oeuvre encompasses symphonic Music and Opera, compositions written specifically for Theatre and Cinema, and even popular oratorios and entechno (art) music, Mikis Theodorakis showcased Greek language in a unique way, setting poems by celebrated Greek and international poets to music – namely Angelos Sikelianos, Andreas Kalvos, Odysseas Elytis, Yiannis Ritsos, George Seferis, Manolis Anagnostakis, Tassos Leivaditis, Michalis Katsaros, Iakovos Kambanellis, as well as Federico García Lorca, Pablo Neruda, Brendan Beha; poems which, thanks to his music, became songs in everybody’s lips, a world heritage. His name became synonymous with the fight against the military junta in Greece and the revolutionary movements in Europe and North America from the 1960s onwards, as his songs passionately conveyed the travails and struggles of the Greek people for freedom and self-determination. The epic, revolutionary power of his music lies precisely in this crucial, vital interconnection between rhythm, lyrics, and national ordeal(s).

According to Theodorakis, “my greatest ambition is to faithfully serve poetry, especially modern Greek poetry – to the extent that, whenever one listens to one of my songs, one won’t be able to imagine this music accompanying a different text, or a poem set in a different music”. Theodorakis fulfilled this ambition to the highest possible degree. If poetry, coming alive through the words of distinctive poets who have written in Greek (or have been translated into Greek) indeed constitutes our national narrative, when one listens to Mikis’ music, one is not able to enjoy it independently of the history and self-definition of modern-day Greece.

Three days of national mourning have been declared to honour Mikis Theodorakis’ passing.

During these three days, a moment of silence will be observed in every Athens Epidaurus Festival performance. The 2022 Athens Epidaurus Festival artistic programme will also include a special tribute to his work.

Mikis Theodorakis is inextricably bound with the history of both the Athens Festival and the Epidaurus Festival. Since the late 1970s, he was regularly active at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, either in his capacity as conductor or with specific works of his being performed by major orchestras under the baton of other conductors, including the following works:

1977 Works by Mikis Theodorakis

Performed the Athens State Orchestra

Conducted by Mikis Theodorakis

1980 Works by Mikis Theodorakis

Performed by the Swedish Orchestra & Collegium Musicum Choir

Conducted by Sam Claeson

1983 Works by Mikis Theodorakis

Performed by the Athens State Orchestra

Conducted by Dmitri Kitayenko

1986 Works by Theodorakis, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich

Performed the Athens State Orchestra

Conducted by Odysseas Dimitriadis

1988 Mikis Theodorakis concert

Performed by the Athens Symphony Orchestra & Small Popular Orchestra

Conducted by Mikis Theodorakis

1990 Zorba 

Performed by the Ballet Théâtre de l’ Est & the Greek Radio Symphony Orchestra

Choreographed by Léonide Massine / Conducted by Mikis Theodorakis, Lukas Karytinos

1991 Canto General 

Conducted by Mikis Theodorakis, Lukas Karytinos

1991 Works by Liadov, Theodorakis, Rimsky-Korsakov

Performed by the Tchaikovsky Orchestra

Conducted by Leonid Nikolayev

1991 Works by Theodorakis, Shostakovich

Performed by the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra

Conducted by Alkis Baltas

1993 Medea by Mikis Theodorakis

Performed by the ERT National Symphony Orchestra

Conducted by Lukas Karytinos / Directed by Spyros A. Evangelatos

1995 A tribute to Mikis Theodorakis’ 70th birthday, as part of a greater tribute to older and contemporary film composers

Performed by Metropole Orkest

Conducted by Dick Bakker / Soloists: George Dalaras, Theodoros Kerkezos

1996 Electra by Mikis Theodorakis

Performed by the Sofia National Opera Orchestra

Conducted by Elias Voudouris

1999 Works by Mikis Theodorakis

Performed by the Athens State Orchestra

Conducted by Mikis Theodorakis, Lukas Karytinos

2000 Canto General 

Performed by the Saint Petersburg State Academic Symphony Orchestra and Choir

Conducted by Mikis Theodorakis, Alexander Tchernushenko

2001 Works by Mikis Theodorakis

Performed by the “Mikis Theodorakis” Popular Orchestra

Conducted by Mikis Theodorakis

2002 Concert featuring works by Mikis Theodorakis

Performed by the “Mikis Theodorakis” Popular Orchestra

2003 Tribute to Yiannis Ritsos

Performed by the “Mikis Theodorakis” Popular Orchestra

2005 A tribute to Mikis Theodorakis’ 80th birthday

Love songs

Performed by the ERT National Symphony Orchestra and Chorus & the “Mikis Theodorakis” Popular Orchestra

Conducted by Andreas Pylarinos / Directed by Mikis Theodorakis

2005 A tribute to Mikis Theodorakis’ 80th birthday

Canto General – The Ballet

Performed by the Greek National Opera Ballet

Conducted by Elias Voudouris

Libretto – Directing: Vassilis Nikolaidis

2005

A tribute to Mikis Theodorakis’ 80th birthday

Performed by the Hungarian National Ballet & the Hungarian State Opera Ballet

Zorba

Choreographed by Gábor Keveházi

2009 Mikis Theodorakis concert – Tribute to Yiannis Ritsos

Performed by the “Mikis Theodorakis” Popular Orchestra

2012 Canto General by Mikis Theodorakis

Performed by Maria Farantouri

2015 A tribute to Mikis Theodorakis’ 90th birthday

Symphony No. 1 & Axion Esti

Performed by the Athens State Orchestra

Conducted by Lukas Karytinos

In addition to the above, Mikis Theodorakis also composed music for ancient Greek tragedies staged at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, primarily National Theatre of Greece productions (The Phoenician Women, dir. Alexis Minotis, 1960, 1965, 1978, 1988; Ajax and The Trojan Women, dir. Takis Mouzenidis, 1961 and 1965 respectively; The Trojan Women, dir. Alexis Solomos, 1975; The Suppliants, dir. Spyros A. Evangelatos, 1977; Antigone, dir. Minos Volanakis, 1995) and Amfi-Theatro productions, directed by Spyros A. Evangelatos (Eumenides, 1986; The Libation Bearers, 1988; Oresteia, 1990; Prometheus Bound, 1992; Medea, 2001).

Numerous leading theatre companies and organisations also collaborated with Mikis Theodorakis in performances held at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus. The (far from comprehensive) list includes: the Greek Art Theatre (The Knights, dir. Giorgos Lazanis, 1979); the Proskinio Theatre (Hecuba, dir. Alexis Solomos, 1987); the Aliki Vougiouklaki Company (Antigone, dir. Minos Volanakis, 1990); the Sychrono Theatro Athinas (Oedipus Rex, dir. Nikos Charalambous, 1996); the Cosmopolis Centre of European and International Cultural Exchanges (The Phoenician Women, dir. Giannis Karachisaridis, 1997); a collaboration between the Greek National Opera and the Megaron – The Athens Culture Hall (Lysistrata, lyrical comedy, based on Aristophanes’ play, with libretto by the composer, dir. Giorgos Michailidis, 2002, as part of the Cultural Olympiad 2001-2004), the Cyprus Theatre Organisation (Antigone, dir. Stavros Tsakiris, 2005), to name but a few.