Mario Frangoulis chooses an optimistic tone to bid farewell to what has been a challenging summer for him. Following a serious car accident that forced him to cancel his entire summer tour—something he discusses in detail for the first time with Protothema.gr—and the loss of his mother, he is set to return to the Herodeion stage on October 3rd. Now recovered and looking toward the future, he aims to share a musical evening filled with beautiful melodies, beloved songs, and an important message regarding mental health.
A Summer of Challenges
When the cancellation of his initial summer concerts in Greece with Giota Negka was announced in early June due to his involvement in a car accident, no one, not even he, anticipated that his injuries would be so severe that they would confine him to bed for an extended period. “Indeed, I had a very difficult summer. The accident was severe and caused significant damage. The injury was in a very critical area, my lung was affected, my sternum was fractured, and the doctors prohibited any movement. I had to spend a month in the hospital and another month at home, completely immobilized in a special hospital bed. I needed someone beside me 24 hours a day. The truth is that initially, I didn’t realize how serious my injury was and I made plans. Unfortunately, it was impossible to meet my artistic commitments. Fortunately, everything is well now,” he reveals with relief.
During this extraordinarily challenging time, the internationally recognized performer faced yet another blow with the passing of his mother, who died at the end of July while he was still in recovery. Originally from Corfu, his mother met his father in Africa, where they married and had two sons. Due to difficult circumstances, when Mario was just four and a half years old, they made the tough decision to leave him with his mother’s sister and her husband in Athens. Young Mario reunited with his family after four long years, a separation that left indelible marks on his childhood. Nonetheless, he did everything he could to fill the void in his relationship with his mother, as he shared that they had lived together for many years.
“My mother was 98 years old, but the loss of a parent is always painful. I miss her every day, especially since for the last 20 years, we lived in the same building. I had her close to me, I cared for her, and we had constant communication. She infused me with her laughter and spontaneity. In some way, we compensated for the years we spent apart when my family lived in Africa and I grew up in Athens with my aunt and uncle, two wonderful people who gave me a lot of love and many tools for my life.”
A Journey of Resilience
Despite the challenges he faced in childhood, nothing could stand in the way of his talent. He began studying violin at a young age under esteemed teachers and gave his first performance in a musical at just 11 years old, showcasing his remarkable gift at the English school he attended. This gift was nurtured further through extensive studies in acting and music at renowned institutions abroad, including the prestigious Juilliard School in New York, where he was awarded a scholarship from the Onassis Foundation.
Equipped with the necessary skills, Mario expanded his horizons and excelled in a vast artistic field that spans opera, musical theater, and pop music. He gained international recognition through performances in the world’s most famous venues, from the legendary La Scala in Milan to Covent Garden. Despite his success, he made a personal decision to maintain his ties with his homeland, Greece. Alongside his rich activities abroad, he always found time to record Greek albums, give concerts, and star in musicals and musical performances by significant Greek composers such as Mikis Theodorakis and Giannis Markopoulos.
A Special Concert Experience
In this upcoming concert at the Herodeion, Mario will be joined by the acclaimed American soprano Larisa Martinez, who has Puerto Rican roots. Their meeting story is charming: “I attended a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York, and sitting next to me was the famous American violinist Joshua Bell, who happens to be Larisa Martinez’s husband. We talked, and after the concert, I went backstage, introduced myself to Larisa, and told her how much I would love for her to come to Greece to perform together,” he shares.
As for the program he will present at the Herodeion, it carries the symbolic title “Symphony of Life.” “For me, every song has a beginning, middle, and end, like a small symphonic work. Since my repertoire includes songs by composers from around the world—both classical and contemporary—that cannot be categorized into a specific genre, I wanted to give this concert a title that refers to the harmony we seek in our lives today. Given all the tragic events happening around us, such as wars and the thousands of deaths and serious injuries to innocent people and small children that flood our screens daily, we cannot ignore them. Each of us must do what we can to help change our world for the better, so children do not suffer. This can be through donations, active participation in charities, and even through the messages in songs and music, which have the power to offer hope and foster communication and collaboration,” he emphasizes meaningfully.
As is often the case with Mario Frangoulis’s major concerts, this one is also connected to a social cause, as a portion of the proceeds will be donated to “ANIMA,” an organization focused on mental health issues and supporting individuals facing such challenges. “It is evident that the impact of modern times on the mental health of people of all ages, including children and adolescents, is substantial. In recent years, we have faced many difficult situations, such as the financial crisis, COVID, the transition to the digital age, and communication through social media, all of which have shaken mental health,” Mario Frangoulis tells us, once again demonstrating his sensitivity to issues that concern contemporary societies and humanity.
