Media Library

News Releases

Statement by President Higgins on the death of Mikis Theodorakis

Date: Thu 2nd Sep, 2021 | 14:32

“It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of Mikis Theodorakis, composer, lyricist and politician, and an artist who was uniquely and inextricably linked to the story of Greece itself.

He will be remembered not only as one of Greece’s finest composers, whose music travelled all over the world, but also for his role in protecting Greek democracy during the military rule in his country.

Marked by his experience of imprisonment, torture and exile, during World War II, during the Greek civil war and again in the 1960s during the Regime of the Colonels, Mikis Theodorakis used his work to reflect his passion for, and commitment to, the country he loved so dearly and which mourns him today.

His adaptation of Brendan Behan’s ‘The Laughing Boy’ became one of his best-known pieces, representing the Greek people’s desire for freedom and democracy and their struggle against military dictatorship.

The passing of Mikis Theodorakis represents a great loss for Greece and for all who love his country and I extend my profound sympathy to the people of the Hellenic Republic.”