Farewell to Vangelis, musician of “Chariots of Fire”

Michal Martinka

Electronic composer famous by his Award-winning score for the film Chariots of Fire, author of music to many other movies has died last Tuesday evening. The cause of death hasn’t been officially published yet. According to Greek journal web Ikonomikos Tachydromos, Vangelis died in hospital in France where he has been hospitalized with Covid-19.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and other government officials expressed their condolences Thursday. “Vangelis Papathanassiou is no longer among us,” Mitsotakis tweeted, calling him an “electronic sound trailblazer” whose death is “sad news for the entire world.”

Vangelis – by his own name Evangelos Odysseas Papathanasiu was born 29. March 1943 close to city Volos. He started to play piano when he was 4 years old. He didn’t have any formal education and he said that he never learned to read notes. Vangelis grew up in Athens and formed his first band in 1963, called the Forminx. They split in 1966, and Vangelis became a writer and producer for hire. Later replace Rick Wakeman on keyboards in the band Yes and moved to London where signed a solo deal with RCA Records, and later teamed with the band’s Jon Anderson for the duo Jon and Vangelis. Their debut album was in UK Top 5.

Vangelis had continued his film score work throughout the 1970s, but it was in the 80s that this reached its commercial heights by creating music score to his most known work Chariots of Fire famous scene in the opening credit when young runners progress in slow motion across a glum beach in Scotland. He won Oscar for this music in 1981. Vangelis created music to many others movies and series as 1942: Conquest of Paradise or Blade Runner. In 1995 created the album “Foros Timis Ston Greco” to memory of El Greco – famous Greek painter. In 1993 composed work “Mythodea” which later became official music of NASA Mars mission “Odyssea”.