A native of Chania, national hero and probably Greece’s most famous composer and musician, Mikis Theodorakis died on 2nd September 2021. This year, as part of the annual Mikis Theodorakis Festival, a Civil Memorial is being held in Chania on 2nd September at which the keynote speaker will be President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulidis. This year is also the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, mourned by Greeks everywhere as a blow against the progress of Hellenism. Theodorakis was always a strong supporter of Cypriot reunification and Mr Christodoulidis is expected to emphasise the composer’s support for Cyprus through his works and activities.
Started in 2015, the annual Mikis Theodorakis Festival has been expanded since the composer’s death, with keynote speakers and ancillary events. It is jointly organised by the Region of Crete, the Municipality of Chania and the Pancretan Association of Friends of Mikis Theodorakis. At a press conference held on on 21st August to present the programme for this year’s Festival, Giorgos Agorastakis, president of the Pancretan Association of Friends of Mikis Theodorakis, said that “the memorial to Mikis will be celebrated every year and at every event a major personality will be invited to give the central speech in the civil part of the memorial. In this context we have in the past invited collaborators of Mikis Theodorakis, and we are now inviting political personalities, starting with the President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulidis.”
Referring to this year’s 50th anniversary of the tragic invasion of Cyprus, he said: “Mikis Theodorakis was one of the great Greek fighters for the freedom and unity of Cyprus, and for this reason he has been honoured by the Cypriot State and all the Cypriot presidents, as well as the Cypriot people and institutions. We would say that for Cyprus Mikis Theodorakis is a national hero. The presence of Nikos Christodoulidis will serve to honour the contribution of Mikis Theodorakis to the struggles for Cypriot unity and freedom.” Mr Agorastakis invited Cretans to take part in the memorial as a demonstration of solidarity with the Cypriot people, with the aim of the liberation of Cyprus within the framework of the UN resolutions.
Asked by Haniotika Nea about the activities of the Friends of Mikis Theodorakis association, Mr Agorastakis replied that 2025 marks 100 years since the composer’s birth, and that next year has been declared the “year of Mikis Theodorakis” by the Greek state. He noted that a meeting with representatives from across the island is planned, to deal with outstanding issues related to the events which will take place all over Crete.
Also present at the press conference, the Regional Councillor for Education and Culture Sofia Malandraki-Krasoudaki observed that Mikis Theodorakis is one of the most important figures of the 20th century for Greece and for the world, and that “he is the man with whom we identify, we have the privilege of his being born here and influencing our own behaviour through his connection with Greek music and with the struggles for Democracy.” She added that the Regional Authority could not do other than support these events which have an educational role especially for young people.
Declaring the Municipality’s support for the events, deputy mayor Eleni Zervoudaki spoke of “Three years of memory, three years of devotion to the great political figure, to the great global figure which is called Mikis Theodorakis. A tremendous name associated not only with his tremendous musical and artistic contribution but with his political struggles and pronouncements.”
(Haniotika Nea 22/08/24)
The Festival programme
The programme of events, which was presented at the press conference by Mathaios Frantzeskakis, general manager of the Chania Film Festival and a member of the Pancretan Association of Friends of Mikis Theodorakis, is as follows:
Friday 30th August 2024
Concert by the Municipal Band of Chania
With the participation of: Erofili (voice), Giorgos Saltaris (piano)
Giali Tzami Square, 8.30 pm
Saturday 31st August 2024
Concert by the Mikis Theodorakis Popular Orchestra
Singers: Gerasimos Andreatos, Sofia Papazoglou, Panagiotis Petrakis, Chrysida
Soloist: Manolis Karantinis (bouzouki)
Eastern Trench Theatre, 8.30 pm
Sunday 1st September 2024
The Divine Liturgy of John Chrysostom, set to music by Mikis Theodorakis
Performed by the St Spyridon Choir of Corfu
Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul [on Igoumenou Gavriil street behind the Plateia Eleftherias], 11.00 am.
Concert with Manolis Androulidakis (guitar)
Guitar recital with works by Mikis Theodorakis
Megalo Arsenali, 8.30 pm
Monday 2nd September 2024 – Day of Remembrance
Annual memorial to Mikis Theodorakis at Galatas Cemetery
– Service of Commemoration
– Laying of flowers
– St Spyridon Children’s-Youth choir of Corfu: “Angels on the road of the Archangel, Corfu-Crete”, Mikis Theodorakis (adaptation Efstathios Makris), conductor: Christina Kalliaridou.
Galatas Cemetery, Chania, 11.30 am
Visit to the Theodorakis family home
Theodorakis family home, Galatas, Chania.
Central event – Civil Memorial
– Greetings from the organisers
– Central speech: Nikos Christodoulidis, President of the Republic of Cyprus.
– Musical report: A dialogue between the Cretan and the Symphonic Music of Mikis Theodorakis. Konstantina Vidalaki (solo piano)
Mikis Theodorakis Theatre, Venetian Harbour, Chania, 7.30 pm
Thursday 29th August to Monday 2nd September 2024
Mikis … landscapes!
A journey in sounds and pictures, music and texts of Mikis Theodorakis: screenings, workshops, special activities.
Centre for Mediterranean Architecture, 29/08-02/09/2024
10.00 am to 2.00 pm and 7.00 pm to 10.30 pm.
The Mikis Theodorakis Festival 2024 is being held under the auspices of the Hellenic Parliament and the Ministry of Culture.
Organisers: Region of Crete, Municipality of Chania, Pancretan Association of Friends of Mikis Theodorakis.
With the cooperation and support of: the Metropolis of Kydonia and Apokoronas, the Lilian Voudouri Music Library of the Friends of Music Association, Chania Film Festival.
Organisation and Production: Cultural Corporation of Crete.
The full programme for the Festival in English, with notes on the performers and more details of ancillary events can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KFiu0LBpMzUqcoG6ZJmy9KHs2f8txfAD/edit