Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis turns 90 on Wednesday! A special concert is being held at the Athens Concert Hall (Megaron Mousikis) garden on the occasion of his 90th birthday. The Popular Orchestra “Mikis Theodorakis” will present landmark works with Yiannis Belonis on the piano, bouzouki-players Thanassis Vassilas and Yiannis Matsoukas, guitarist Vangelis Kontaratos, cellist Marilisa Papadouri, accordion player Lefteris Grivas, bassist Stavros Kavalieratos, drummer Nikos Skomopoulos, and percussionist Stefanos Theodorakis-Papangelidis.

The great composer himself, a living legend and icon of culture and resistance, will be present at the concert at 9 p.m.

The film “Recycling Medea” by Asteris Koutoulas will make its world premiere at the Alkyonis cinema, at 7.30 p.m., in the framework of the commemoration of the 90th birthday of the renowned Greek composer.

Koutoulas has been a music producer and manager of Mikis Theodorakis abroad since 1986, and has worked with him in many countries such as Australia, Canada, Chile, Israel, Russia.

About Mikis

* He was born on the island of Chios in 1925, and spent his childhood years in Mytilene, Cephalonia, Patras, Pyrgos and Tripoli.
* A strong music influence was Byzantine liturgy.
* He became a member of the Reserve Unit of ELAS in 1943 and led a troop in the fight against the British and the Greek right.
* During the Greek Civil War he was arrested and exiled to the island of Ikaria before being deported to the island of Makronisos where he was tortured and buried alive twice.
* His studies ran from 1943 to 1950 at the Athens Conservatory during times when he wasn’t obliged to hide, be in exile or serve time in jail.
* In 1954, he traveled with his young wife Myrot Altinoglou to Paris to study music analysis. Together they have two children.
* His scores include music for films like Zorba the Greek (1964), Z (1969) and Serpico (1973).
* He is a recipient of the Lenin peace prize.
* He was a key voice against the Greek junta from 1967 to 1974 and had been imprisoned for his views.
* He was an MP with the Greek Communist Party (KKE) from 1981 to 1990 but in 1989 he ran as an independent candidate with the conservative New Democracy Party – under Constantine Mitsotakis – so as to get the country out of the political crisis caused by scandals of the government of socialist PASOK Andreas Papandreou.