Mimis Plessas had dozens of awards to his credit and highlighted many great Greek performers – his songs for Greek films are unforgettable
Mimis Plessas, internationally awarded musician, composer, conductor and pianist died today, October 5thone week before his 100th birthday.
Born in Athens, he studied at the Leonteio Lyceum and then studied Chemistry at the School of Physics and Mathematics of the University of Athens. He went to the USA to continue his studies.
At an early age he became the first piano soloist at the National Radio Foundation. In 1952, at the age of 28, he was awarded the University of Minnesota’s first music prize, and the following year he was ranked fifth in the United States. In 1952 he began his occupation with composition and from 1956 as conductor and composer.
His artistic and compositional activity covers all areas of music, in theater, cinema, radio and television. He has collaborated with many top singers, many of whom he has highlighted with his songs. He also composed music for films and plays, with 104 films and 70 plays to his credit.
He also wrote the music and songs for the TV series “The Children of Niobe”. He has conducted many of the largest orchestras in the world, in his works and was distinguished on the one hand for his theatrical offering in Paris in 1958, and for his cinematographic work in Edinburgh and the USA in 1964 and 1965 respectively. They were followed by numerous Greek and foreign distinctions.
Mimis Plessas was the producer of the historical radio show “In 30 Seconds” which was a knowledge award show with various prizes (radios and books), in the 1960s – 1970s.
He participated in most international and Greek judging committees of artistic events. He was a member of it Hellenic Society of Playwrightsher Society of Composers Lyricists of Greeceher ERGIM (contemporary music) and many other artistic clubs.
Art Cafe
From January 4, 1986 to July 20, 1988, he co-hosted with Kostas Ferri and him Vassilis Tsivilikas of the ERT broadcast “Artistic Cafe”where various personalities from the artistic and social spheres were invited and shared stories of how they started and their lives in general. Mimis Plessas with his excellent piano playing usually accompanied the singers who entertained the cafe. This show was particularly successful.
In 2010 he was named honorary doctor of the Chemistry Department of the University of Patras while it is PhD in Chemistry from Cornell University, USA.
In 2016, Mimis Plessas, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his appearance in the discography with the album “Rate in the air” for the film of the same name by Yiannis Dalianidis, presented his last complete work “Transparent Cross” performed by Thanos Olympios. Their album went platinum.
He was married to Lucilla Carrerwith whom he had a daughter in 1998. His son from a previous marriage is the music composer Antonis Plessas.
Discrimination
Mimis Plessas has been honored both in Greece and abroad. In total he has received six distinctions in Greece (Athens and Thessaloniki 1959, 1963, 1964 and 1967) and seven international distinctions (Barcelona in 1960, Warsaw in 1962, Belgium in 1963, Italy (Alto Monte) 1964, USA in 1965, Paris in 1968 and Tokyo in 1970). It has also received both gold and platinum records.
Examples include:
1951: Receives the University of Minnesota’s first music award.
1952: Named fifth pianist in the US.
2000: He is honored for his fifty-year contribution to Greek music and culture by the Municipality of Athens with the award of the “Gold Medal of the City” in a major symphonic concert at the Athens Concert Hall.
2001: Award of the Golden Cross of the Order of the Phoenix for his contribution to culture, by the President of the Republic.
2002: He is honored for his 50 years in the Greek music scene at the Herodes of Atticus Conservatory by the Ministry of Culture.
2004: Honored as the “Man of the Year” by the minister of culture at the personalities ceremony for his contribution to world culture.
2006: Awarded by the Academy of Personalities for his overall contribution to culture.
2024: Award of the Senior Brigadier General of the Order of Honor for his contribution to culture, by the President of the Republic.
Source: Skai
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