THE Mimi Plessaswho passed away today at the age of 100 (he would have turned 12 on October 12), was not only a gifted musician. He had also excelled in chemistry, the science in which he had done post-graduate studies.

Mimis Plessas studied at School of Physics and Mathematics of the University of Athens and in the 1950s he moved to America, where he prepared his doctoral thesis at Cornell University of New York. His subject was the study of the myelin protein, the reduction of which is associated with the disease multiple sclerosis.

“Playing the piano in America to help my family devastated by the Occupation, my good fortune brought me the winner of a music competition at the University of Minneapolis – St. Paul. However, I decided to exchange the scholarship I was awarded with a scholarship to study Chemistry. This is how I completed my doctoral thesis”, he had emphasized to APE-MPE and to the journalist Maria Kouzinopoulou in May 2009, when he had partnered with the Hellenic Society of Multiple Sclerosis in a concert at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, in the double capacity of scientist and the artist.

“I may remain self-taught in music, but in the end the strange thing was how I got involved in Chemistry. I played the piano from a very young age, even secretly from my family”, explained Mimis Plessas to APE-MPE, who practically maintained his interest and sensitivity around scientific issues.

Mimis Plessas had been honored repeatedly in Greece and abroad. The last time was on 7/6/2024, when the President of the Republic Katerina Sakelaropoulou awarded the award of the Senior Brigadier of the Order of Honor to the composer – as well as to Giannis Markopoulos, posthumously, and Lefteris Papadopoulos – for their many contributions to Greek music. “With this award, we honor a personality of Greek music, who was recognized and loved like few others,” said Mrs. Sakellaropoulou about Mimi Plessas.

However, he also distinguished himself in the science of chemistry. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Department of Chemistry of the University of Patras (2010) and a doctorate in Chemistry by Cornell University, USA.

“One of the special moments for me was when I was awarded an honorary doctorate in Chemistry at the University of Patras in April 2010. Chemistry is the top of the sciences. But music is also a chemistry of notes that convey emotions. I love chemistry and music equally”, he told LiFO and the journalist Yannis Pantazopoulos five years ago.