R.I.P. Mikis Theodorakis
The Greek flag was lowered to half-staff at the Acropolis as three days of national mourning were declared.
Born Michail Theodorakis on the eastern Aegean island of Chios on July 29, 1925, he was exposed to music and politics from a young age. Despite the hardships, he managed to establish himself as a respected musician. He graduated from the Athens Music School in 1950 and continued his studies in Paris on a scholarship in 1954.
Fans of his music were as varied as his work: The Beatles sang a cover of his song and he was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize by the Soviet Union. Tireless in later life, Theodorakis continued to work with emerging artists and compositions that included music for the opening ceremony of the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, and maintained an active interest in politics.