The State Theater of Northern Greece expresses its deep sorrow for the loss of Yiannis Markopoulos in a statement.

As he states, “Yiannis Markopoulos was one of the most important Greek composers who became internationally known by writing music for cinema, theater and dance. He was a pioneer, opening musical paths with his compositions. With a vision of “back to the roots” as the key design of the future, he united tradition with classic and modern sound. He stamped the musical landscape of our country with his work and attitude, while he wrote songs that are loved and sung by all generations.

Yannis Markopoulos was born in Heraklion, Crete. He was brought up in Ierapetra where his father’s house was. He took his first music lessons at the local Conservatory. In 1956, in Athens, he continued his musical studies at the Athens Conservatory. Enters Panteio University. The first teenage compositions had pan-Hellenic appeal (Beyond the sea, Broken houses, Malamatenia loki). In 1959 he composed the Three sketches for dance, which were broadcast by the EIR symphony orchestra. At the age of 22, he was awarded by the Thessaloniki Film Festival for the music in Little Venuses by N. Koundouros.

In 1967 in London he continued his musical knowledge with the composer Elisabeth Lutyens. His friendship with Yiannis Christou and Iannis Xenakis brought him into contact with pioneering musical forms. There he finished the musical fresco based on the poem Helios the first by Odysseus Elytis, the musical ceremony Behold the Bride (an anecdotal work except for Zavara-katra-nemia), the Hymns for symphony orchestra and the Pyrrhic dances A, B, C, (of the 24 he completed in 2001), performed in 1968 by the London Concertante Orchestra. He wrote the music to Shakespeare’s The Tempest for the National Theater of England.

In 1969 he recorded his works in Athens, creating a new movement for art and its utility and philosophically seeking the deeper unity of man with his natural and social environment. He founded a new orchestra with symphonic and Greek instruments, choosing young singers from the region and the city to perform his works. He strongly suggested “Back to the Roots” which he defined “as designing the future, by introspection, study and approach to the imperishable sources of the living art of the world combined with selected contemporary art information”. A development oriented towards the future, which took on the dimensions of an art movement beyond Greece.

Musical works and song cycles of the period: The Free Besieged, Chronicle, Citizenship, Stratis the Seaman among the Beloved, Tenure, The Songs of the New Father,, Plateau, Thessalian Cycle, Immigrants, Independent Sergiani in the World, Horizons, Denekedoupolis, Friends who leave, in poetry and verses: Solomou, Seferi, Elyti, K.X. Myre, Mich. Katsaros, N. Karouzou, M. Anagnostaki, G. Skourtis, M. Eleftheriou, G. Chronas, P. Theodoridis, E. Fakinou, K. Virvou and his family.

In 1976 he wrote the score for the BBC television series Who Pays the Ferryman. The musical theme reached the top of the English charts and the composer became internationally known. In 1980 he founded the 24-member orchestra Palintonos Armonia, with which he performed concerts in Greece and abroad. In 1977 he wrote the secular liturgy The Free Besieged based on the poem of our national poet Dionysios Solomos which was presented the same year, in front of 22,000 spectators in a stadium in Athens under the direction of the composer.

With his music he became very popular abroad as well, making repeated trips around the world and giving concerts with his works in the USA, Canada, Sweden, Holland, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, England , Russia & Australia.

His artistic output includes music for theater and cinema, in works by Euripides, Aristophanes, Menander, Shakespeare, Chekhov, Beckett and modern Greeks, with the National Theatre, the Karolos Kuhn Art Theatre, the Amphitheater by Spyros Evagelatos and with the directors Alexis Solomos, Pello Katseli, Minoa Volonakis, etc. Among the films: Vortex and Byron by Koundouros, Scream of Women and Rehearsal by Jules Dassin, Beloved by G. Cosmatos, Fear by Kostas Manousakis, Operation Apollo by G. Skalenakis, Fate of an Innocent by Grigoris Grigoriou (Music Award Thessaloniki Film Festival) .

At KTHBE he has signed the music for three performances. His last collaboration was in 2011 “In Denekedoupolis” by Eugenia Fakinou, presented by the Children’s Stage of the Greek Theater of Greek Theater in the Royal Theatre, directed by Fotini Baxevanis.

Collaborations with KTHBE:

Plautus’ “H tsoukala me to chrysafi”, directed by Panos Papaioannou, First Presentation – Alexandroupoli (1978) (Synthesis), Plautus’ Amphitryon, directed by Panos Papaioannou – Forest Theater (1992) (Synthesis), “In Denekedoupolis” by Eugenias Fakinou, directed by Fotini Baxevanis – Royal Theater (2011) – (Music)”, the KTHBE points out in its announcement.