With a legendary career spanning seven decades, the industrious composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor Mimis Plessas has composed melodies and songs that have left an indelible mark, music for film and theatre, jazz, opera, and classical music as well.
A generous and giving creator, he has promoted many great singers (Nana Mouskouri, Jenny Vanou, Yannis Poulopoulos, Stratos Dionysiou, Rena Koumioti, etc.) and defined Greek singing with his prolific contribution to the recording industry, which also owes him the most commercial Greek album ever released: Dromos, with lyrics by Lefteris Papadopoulos, having sold some 4,000,000 copies since 1969.
Many of Plessas’ songs are still sung and identified with the most glorious moments of the old Greek cinema.
The great composer, who this year celebrates his 100th birthday, will be honoured at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus concert by a host of favourite artists, together with the Mimis Plessas and ERT Contemporary Music Orchestras.
Artistic Director Loukila Carrer Plessa
Curating Director Eleana Plessa
Guest Soloists Giorgos Hatzinasios, Stefanos Korkolis
ERT Contemporary Music Orchestra conducted by George Aravidis
Mimis Plessas Orchestra Giorgos Pachis bouzouki, orchestra leader, Christos Vidiniotis bouzouki, Ilias Kaloudis piano, Giannis Kalkanis drums, Nikos Karatzas melodic percussion instruments, Christos Pertsinidis guitar, Antonis Kalantzakos double bass, Dimos Polymeris accordion, Dimitris Houndis soprano saxophone
Singers (in alphabetical order) Penny Baltatzi, Dimitris Basis, Tassis Christoyannis, Vassiliki Karagianni, Spyros Kleissas, Sofia Manousaki
Orchestra curated by Mimis Plessas
Orchestrations by Mimis Plessas, Samy Elgazzar, George Pachis, Christos Vidiniotis
Lighting design Dimitris Koutas
Sound design Michalis Sygletos, Dimitris Hatzakis
Mimis Plessas: Α century together
He loved freedom of expression and the cinema...
He never compromised by signing with a record company including ‘on demand’ terms in pursuit of success....
Through this untamed spirit and unconstrained talent, Mimis Plessas wrote his own history in ‘his own Century’...
Because the ‘Century of Mimis Plessas’ embraced the most romantic and beloved themes in Greek Cinema – from ‘Enas megalos erotas’ in the homonymous film to ‘Vrehi fotia sti strata mou’ in the film Oratotis Miden.
A Century of award-winning songs in both Greek and International Festivals, from ‘The Little Star’ (‘Xero kapio asteri’) which shone pale and humble in 1959 and then lit up our entire sky with ‘Edo teleionei o ouranos’ (‘The Sky’s End’) to ‘Tha klepso ta triantafylla’ and ‘Pios to kseri’, sung in so many languages….
These are songs that united the Greek people and never divided them.... Three generations of Greeks still express their sorrow with ‘Agalma’, fall in love with ‘Tha pio apopse to fengari’ and ‘Enas Ouranos me Asteria’ (‘Hold me Tender’), long for the summers of another era by listening to ‘Tosa kalokeria’, and still find hope by listening to ‘Ximeroni Kyriaki’.
‘A century together...’ which began humbly from a ‘Kamaroula mia stalia’ (a tiny room) with so many dreams and ideals, so much love and truth... so many songs that have blossomed in our hearts, which certainly could not be included in a single performance...
Loukila Carrer Plessa
