Greek composer Vangelis (Photo: AFP)
Vangelis, the Greek composer of soundtracks for films including Blade Runner and Chariots of Fire, has died at the age of 79, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Thursday.
“Vangelis Papathanassiou is no longer with us,” the Prime Minister tweeted. “The music world has lost the international (artist) Vangelis,” he added.
A pioneer of electronic music, this autodidact was inspired by space exploration, nature, futuristic architecture, the New Testament or the student movement of May 1968 in France.
His score for Chariots of Fire won an Oscar in 1982 when it competed with John Williams’ score for the first Indiana Jones film.
“It is with great sadness that we announce that the great Greek Vangelis Papathanassiou passed away on Tuesday night, May 17,” his lawyer told Greek news agency ANA on Thursday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aHfNE3EIo
According to Greek media, Vangelis died from the coronavirus in France, where he resided for certain seasons. Mitsotakis also noted that Vangelis middle name was Ulysses.
“For us Greeks, this means that he began his great journey in the chariots of fire. Always send us your notes from there,” Mitsotakis wrote on Twitter.
His soundtracks also include CostaGavras’ “Missing O Desaparecido”; Roman Polanski’s Gilmoon and Oliver Stone’s Alexander.