On June 10, 2023, the famous Greek composer Yanis Markopoulos passed away at the age of 84.
Born in Heraklion, Crete in 1939, Marcopoulos was musically influenced from an early age not only by Byzantine liturgy and traditional Cretan music, but also by the sounds of mines exploding after World War II. rice field. At the age of 17, he entered the Athens Conservatoire, where he studied composition under Iorgos Scravos and violin under Joseph Bastidui.
At the age of 24, Marcopoulos won the Thessaloniki International Film Festival Music Award for his work in the film Young Aphrodite directed by Nico Kundros. He fled the Greek military dictatorship and arrived in London in 1967, where he composed many works, including the secular cantata “Ilios o Protos” and the symphony “Kroismoy”, as well as commissioned Shakespeare productions by the National Theatre. also received “The Tempest” at Queen Elizabeth Hall.
After returning to Athens in 1969, Markopoulos spearheaded a new wave of music that blended classical styles with Greek instruments and influences, working with numerous university students and local artists to promote democracy. It has become a prominent voice for the public’s demand for restoration. He married Vasiliki Lavina in 1980 and had a daughter, Eleni, a year later. Although Marcopoulos then devoted himself to his family life, he also continued to compose, and in 1987 founded the Parintnos Armonia Orchestra.
Markopoulos was laid to rest in the chapel of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens and was buried in the Papague Cemetery.
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