Theodorakis was born in the island of Hios, visited many places Greece and got acquainted with both folk music and the music of Greek Orthodoxy. According to him, his decision to become a composer came as a result of the first piece he ever heard in the Peloponnesian town of Tripoli: Beethoven's Symphony No 9. In Tripoli, Theodorakis began his lifelong struggle for freedom and equality. In Athens, he registered at the conservatorium of music to study composition. At the same time he joined E.A.M., one of the largest resistance organizations against the German occupation.
For the rest of the war, he took an active part in the resistance while continuing his studies. During the years of the Greek Civil War, he was politically active. He spent these years either in hiding or in prison camps, and although being arrested several times and tortured, he managed to continue his musical activities. His first symphony was composed on the notorious prison island of Makronisos. In 1954 he graduated from the Athens Conservatorium, and was awarded a scholarship to Paris Conservatoire, studying composition with O. Messiaen and conducting with E. Bigot. His talent was immediately recognized. He received commissions for film scores and ballet music, and in 1959 his ballet "Antigone" was presented at Covent Garden. Since then, his numerous compositions and music scores constituted him as an international symbol of Greece.
Vangelis Papathanasiou, who is mostly known through just his first name, has made a remarkable career in music composition.
Nana Mouschouri's singing talent has been recognized internationally. </spaShe was born in Hania, Crete, and studied music at the National Conservatory of Greece.
Manos Hatzidakis was one of the most popular Greek composers. Born in the town of Xanthi, he was the composer of many musical pieces of popular nature among them the famous "Piraeus' Children "(Ta Pedia tou Pirea), sung by Melina Merkouri.
Kalomiris is one of the most famous Greek composers and most important representative of the Greek National School.
If it had not been for Mitropoulos' decision to quit priesthood education and follow a brilliant career in music, we would not have celebrated the most important contemporary musician of Greece.
Zagori is an area of great natural beauty and unique architecture in the Pindus Mountains in Epirus in Northwestern Greece. The area is of about 1.000 square kilometers and contains 46 villages. Zagoria villages is called by Greeks “Zagorochoria” meaning the villages behind the mountain.
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In 1989, Professor of Byzantine Studies, Helen Ahrweiler is appointed Chairman of the Cultural Centre Pompidou in Paris