Vangelis

Vangelis, whose instantly recognizable musical theme for 1981's Chariots of Fire won an Oscar and became a sort of aural shorthand for tales of endurance ...

The two would reunite in 1992 for 1492: Conquest of Paradise, with Vangelis’ score earning an Oscar nomination. Originally called, simply, “Titles,” the theme for director Hugh Hudson’s Chariots of Fire, released in 1981, would play no small part in the film’s success, rivaling Bill Conti’s theme from Rocky (“Gonna Fly Now”) as the go-to musical accompaniment for sports events and other tales of hard-won victory. His 1980 collaboration with Anderson, Short Stories, became a hit in the UK. The duo would reteam on various projects throughout the decade.

Vangelis, the legendary Greek composer and musician who was best known for his electronic theme song for Oscar-winning 'Chariots of Fire', has died at the ...

But he was also slightly dismissive of the enormous popularity it enjoyed. Pictured at the French Culture Ministry after receiving a decoration in 1992 But he was also slightly dismissive of the enormous popularity it enjoyed. 'Each planet sings,' he told the LA Times in 2019. Little is known of his personal life. 'Success is sweet and treacherous,' the lion-maned composer told the Observer newspaper in 2012. His theme for 'Chariots of Fire' beat John Williams' score for the first Indiana Jones film in 1982. 'When I saw some footage, I understood that this is the future. Pictured answering a question during a press conference in Athens in June 2001 Vangelis, who had a minor planet named after him in 1995, had a fascination with space from an early age. Little is known of his personal life. Or you might not sell anything feeling very happy,' he said.

Vangelis, the Greek prog-rocker and Oscar-winning composer for films like Chariots of Fire and Blade Runner, has died at the age of 79.

“I think it’s more important to achieve a harmonious result without giving any importance to the source from which a sound originates. The score is now considered one of the greatest works in the electronic music genre, despite not getting a physical release until a decade after the film’s release. I’ve done all my film scores like this, and worked on my albums in the same way. While Chariots of Fire earned all the accolades, Vangelis’ next score was perhaps even more influential: In 1982, he created the electronic soundscape that accompanied Ridley Scott’s sci-fi noir classic Blade Runner, with Vangelis’ synthesizer radiating the director’s bleak urban future. No cause of death was provided, but Greek newspaper OT reports that Vangelis died at a hospital in France where he was being treated for Covid-19. Born in Agria and raised in Athens, Papathanassíou learned piano at a young age, though despite being enrolled in an Athens music school, he never formally learned how to read or write music.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis tweeted "Vangelis Papathanassiou is no longer among us". Media in the country said he had died on Wednesday in a ...

It was there the Chariots Of Fire music was created. The opening piano refrain in Chariots Of Fire is instantly recognisable to millions and it's still one of the most iconic pieces of music in the movie world. Vangelis had no formal music training and after playing with rock bands in Greece, he left for Paris at 25 in the wake of a coup in his home country.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and other government officials expressed their condolences. “Vangelis Papathanassiou is no longer among us,” Mr ...

“You can’t teach creation.” But his huge breakthrough came with the score for Chariots Of Fire that told the true story of two British runners competing in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. His interest in science — including the physics of music and sound — and space exploration led to compositions linked with major Nasa and European Space Agency projects. He played in several bands and solo, but his huge breakthrough came with the score for Chariots Of Fire, a 1981 film that told the story of two British runners in the 1920s. In 1974, he moved to London, built his own studio and cooperated with Yes frontman Jon Anderson, with whom he recorded as Jon And Vangelis and had several major hits. Vangelis, the Greece-born electronic composer who wrote the Academy Award-winning score for the film Chariots Of Fire and music for dozens of other movies, documentaries and TV series, has died aged 79.

Vangelis, the Greek electronic musician who won the Oscar for his “Chariots of Fire” score, also scored “Blade Runner” and “Blade Runner 2049."

The Mel GIbson remake of “The Bounty” followed in 1984. His choral symphony “Mythodea” was adopted by NASA as the theme for its 2001 Mars Odyssey mission and he penned original music for the European Space Agency’s 2014 expedition to Comet 67P. His last studio album, 2021’s “Juno to Jupiter,” was inspired by NASA’s Juno space probe. But it was his music for the 1981 film “Chariots of Fire” that brought him worldwide fame. 1 on the Billboard charts and was nominated for a Record of the Year Grammy. I hate the idea of competition.”

Vangelis composed the music for Blade Runner and Chariots of Fire, which won him an Academy Award.

He believed that there was something inherent in humans to want to discover — whether that meant up in the sky or in a studio. While he was most associated with the synthesizer, the instrument was also a source of frustration for him. Then he moved to Paris and co-founded the popular prog-rock group Aphrodite's Child. The band eventually split and Vangelis got a solo record deal with RCA Records. His efforts earned him a win for best original score at the Academy Awards. According to his assistant Lefteris Zermas, Vangelis died on the May 17 in a hospital in Paris, due to heart failure. The success led him to other film work.

Greek media reports that he died in a hospital in France on Tuesday but his cause of death is currently unknown. The Greek star was best known for his 1981 ...

It has become one of the most well-known pieces of music in cinema, with Vangelis winning an Oscar for best original score. Despite the success of Chariots of Fire, which he once said was written in tribute to his father, Vangelis has seemed dismissive of it, once saying: ‘It’s only another piece of music.’ Vangelis, the composer of iconic soundtracks like Chariots of Fire and Blade Runner, has died at the age of 79.

The Greek musician who inspired multiple artists with his ground breaking film scores died on Tuesday (May 17)

He added that Vangelis had “changed an entire era of music” and “It is also hard to understand how groundbreaking Chariots of Fire was. What a legacyhttps://t.co/p7t5Q0Pmr7 Born Evángelos Papathanassíou, Vangelis was a self-taught musician and piano prodigy.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis confirmed the news on Twitter today, with representatives for the composer confirming that he died while receiving ...

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis paid tribute in a statment on Twitter. It is translated as: "Vangelis Papathanassiou is no longer with us. Vangelis, real name Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassíou, is widely credited with the popularisation of electronic music in film, in particular synthesisers. Having departed the world of commercial music, Vangelis moved to the world of TV and film scores — becoming quietly respected for his work on a number of Greek and European soundtracks throughout the next decade.

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Vangelis, the Greece-born electronic composer who wrote the Academy Award-winning score for the film “Chariots of Fire” and music for ...

“Decca had the pleasure of partnering with Vangelis and his team for his past three albums and we will miss him enormously. “Vangelis created music of extraordinary originality and power, and provided the soundtrack to so many of our lives,” it said. When British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking died in 2018, Vangelis composed a musical tribute for his interment that the ESA broadcast into space. The signature piece is one of the hardest-to-forget movie tunes worldwide — and has also served as the musical background to endless slow-motion parodies. It’s one of the most instantly recognizable musical themes in cinema — and its standing in popular culture has only been confirmed by the host of spoofs it has sired. He was fascinated by space exploration and wrote music for celestial bodies, but said he never sought stardom himself.

The Greek star's Oscar-winning film scores and electronic works created "a new musical landscape".

Its presidents Tom Lewis and Laura Monks said: "The world has lost a genius. He added: "It is also hard to understand how groundbreaking Chariots of Fire was. In addition to Blade Runner, the composer was nominated for Baftas for his scores for Missing and Chariots of Fire. Fellow composer Bear McCreary wrote that he was "a true musical pioneer", saying: "Chariots of Fire and Blade Runner were among the most innovative and influential scores in the history of the medium." Vangelis was "one of my heroes" and "just a beautiful person", Van Buuren wrote on Twitter, adding: "I still listen to his albums a lot." Greek composer Vangelis, who was known for his celebrated film themes for Chariots of Fire and Blade Runner, has died at the age of 79.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and other government officials expressed their condolences.

“You can’t teach creation.” But his huge breakthrough came with the score for Chariots Of Fire that told the true story of two British runners competing in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. His interest in science — including the physics of music and sound — and space exploration led to compositions linked with major Nasa and European Space Agency projects. He played in several bands and solo, but his huge breakthrough came with the score for Chariots Of Fire, a 1981 film that told the story of two British runners in the 1920s. In 1974, he moved to London, built his own studio and cooperated with Yes frontman Jon Anderson, with whom he recorded as Jon And Vangelis and had several major hits. A private, humorous man — burly, with shoulder-length hair and a trim beard — he quoted ancient Greek philosophy and saw the artist as a conduit for a basic universal force.

Vangelis, the 79-year-old Greek electronic composer who wrote the Oscar-winning score for Chariots Of Fire and the music for dozens of other films, ...

I still listen to his albums a lot.” Vangelis has also been acclaimed as a "genius" who “created music of extraordinary originality and power" by the worlds of music and film. His fascination with science, particularly the mechanics of music and sound, and space travel led to pieces composed for NASA and the European Space Agency. Vangelis went on to compose music for films such as Blade Runner (1982), 1492: Conquest Of Paradise (1992), Missing (1982), and Antarctica (1983), among others. He played in numerous bands and as a solo performer, and Vangelis' first taste of fame came in the 1960s with his first Greek pop band Forminx, which he formed in Athens with three friends while in his 20s. Vangelis, the 79-year-old Greek electronic composer who wrote the Oscar-winning score for Chariots Of Fire and the music for dozens of other films, documentaries, and TV shows, has died.

As well as his signature tune, the musician wrote scores for Blade Runner, Conquest Of Paradise, Missing and Antarctica.

I still listen to his albums a lot.” He played in several bands and solo, but his huge breakthrough came with the score for Chariots Of Fire, a 1981 film that told the story of two British runners in the 20s. “Then in the mid 90’s I had the honour of writing & singing a song on his album Voices, an immense talent that will be missed by his family, and the world of music,” he added. Similarly, English singer-songwriter Paul Young said he was “very sad to hear the news of the recent passing of Vangelis.” Tributes have since been pouring in as the worlds of music and film have honoured the music star. Vangelis has been hailed as a “genius” who “created music of extraordinary originality and power”, after the Chariots Of Fire composer died at the age of 79.

With music that ended up crossing paths with Jay-Z, Donna Summer and Rotting Christ, the late Greek composer's creative mind was thrillingly open.

The Four Horsemen earned the distinction of being effectively rewritten twice – first by the Verve on 1997’s The Rolling People, which tipped the wink to those in the know by taking its title from the lyrics of 666’s Altamont, and then by Beck on 2008’s Chemtrails – as well as being subjected to a cover version by Euro-techno titans Scooter. Elsewhere, the album’s tracks were borrowed by both Oneohtrix Point Never and Dan the Automator and, perhaps inevitably given its title and subject matter, found favour with black metal bands. Their success led to more soundtracks (although Papathanassiou was choosy about the films he worked on) and a series of 80s instrumental albums. Something of 666’s apocalyptic intensity lingered around 1975’s Heaven and Hell, and Odes, the album of Greek songs he recorded with actor Irene Papas (although 1979’s album China and his acclaimed soundtrack to the nature documentary Opera Sauvage were easier on the ear). Murkier, more abstract and far more emotionally ambiguous than the air-punch-inducing Chariots of Fire, its legend was bolstered by the fact that it wasn’t released as an album for over 20 years: a rotten orchestral version, which Scott and Papathanassiou hated, came out in its absence. He also unexpectedly developed a parallel career as a pop star, in the company of Yes vocalist Jon Anderson, an Aphrodite’s Child fan who had contributed to Heaven and Hell and Opera Sauvage. The three albums they released as Jon and Vangelis deftly bridged the gap between prog rock and the vogue for synth-pop. Greek pop music of the 1960s is not an area of musical history where anyone who doesn’t fondly remember it first-hand is advised to dwell.

Vangelis, the Greek musician who won the Oscar for his 'Chariots of Fire' score and whose other credits included 'Blade Runner,' has died.

His choral symphony “Mythodea” was adopted by NASA as the theme for its 2001 Mars Odyssey mission and he penned original music for the European Space Agency’s 2014 expedition to Comet 67P. After relocating to Paris, In 1968 he formed the progressive-rock quartet Aphrodite’s Child with a group of Greek expatriots, including Demis Roussos. The group enjoyed chart success in several European countries, particularly the single “Rain and Tear.” The Mel GIbson remake of “The Bounty” followed in 1984. But it was his music for the 1981 film “Chariots of Fire” that brought him worldwide fame. 1 on the Billboard charts and was nominated for a Record of the Year Grammy. The self-taught musician enjoyed a long career in European pop music before the magical colors and textures of his 1970s solo albums brought him to the attention of film and TV producers.