Greece 2025 2 euro commemorative coin in coincard – Mikis Theodorakis (BU)

Mikis Theodorakis was born on July 29, 1925, on the island of Chios, in the Second Hellenic Republic.

Mikis Theodorakis was a Greek composer and lyricist who created over 1,000 works.

He composed music for the films “Zorba the Greek” (1964), “Z” (1969), and “Serpico” (1973). He was nominated for a BAFTA award three times and won for the film “Z.” He was also nominated for a Grammy Award for the music of “Serpico.” Additionally, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for the music of “Zorba the Greek” with the song “Zorba’s Dance.”

Mikis Theodorakis composed the “Mauthausen Trilogy,” also known as the “Mauthausen Cantata,” which is described as “the most beautiful musical work ever written about the Holocaust” and possibly his greatest work.

Politically, Mikis Theodorakis was associated with leftist views due to his long-standing ties with the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). He was a leading voice against the Greek junta of 1967–1974, which imprisoned him and banned his songs.

From 1981 to 1990, he was a KKE member of parliament. Nevertheless, in 1989, he ran as an independent candidate with the center-right New Democracy party to help the country emerge from the political crisis caused by numerous scandals of Andreas Papandreou’s government. He helped create a grand coalition between conservatives, socialists, and leftists.

In 1990, he was re-elected to parliament, became a minister in Konstantinos Mitsotakis’s government, and fought against drugs and terrorism, supporting culture and education.

Until his death, Mikis Theodorakis was considered the most famous living Greek composer. He died on September 2, 2021, at the age of 96 in Athens and was buried in Chania, Crete (Greece).