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 Greek composer of soundtracks for Blade Runner and Chariots of Fire, has died aged 79, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced.

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

He refused many other offers for film scores, saying in an interview: “Half of the films I see don’t need music. With success, he said, “you find yourself stuck and obliged to repeat yourself and your previous success”. “You can’t teach creation.” At 20, Vangelis and three friends formed the Forminx band in Athens, which did very well in Greece. 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. 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. 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.

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.

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.

Vangelis, the Greek composer whose rousing electronic theme music for the Oscar-winning 1981 film "Chariots of Fire" became one of the most loved movie ...

But he was also slightly dismissive of the enormous popularity it enjoyed. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

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.

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.

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.

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.