The Embassies and Consulates of Greece honor Mikis Theodorakis

Mikis Theodorakis stands out as on of modern Greece’s most prolific and internationally renowned composers. His repertoire includes symphonies, oratorios, ballets, operas, chamber music, solo piano works, but also film scores – including his arguably greatest worldwide success, “Zorba’s Dance”, the iconic music which accompanies the dance known as sirtaki.

This legend of Greek music was born on 29 July 1925; to honor the centenary of his birth, the Hellenic Ministry of Culture has declared 2025 the “Year of Miki Theodorakis,” with numerous cultural events, including concerts, exhibitions, and discussions, have been held to honor his life and work.

On this occasion, and in the framework of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Strategic Planning for the years 2024–2027 and its initiatives to promote Greek culture, many embassies and consulates of Greece worldwide have throughout this year organized events to honor Miki Theodorakis and pay tribute to his legacy.

Events to honor Mikis Theodorakis

Embassy of Greece in Helsinki

On April 28, a piano concert was organized by the Embassy of Greece in Helsinki honoring Mikis Theodorakis. The concert featured Konstantina Vidalaki, a Greek pianist with an international career, who performed famous works by Theodorakis, as well as “Elegy for Mikis”, a tribute to the legendary Greek written by the distinguished Finnish composer Matti Heininen, and presented for the first time before an audience. The concert was held at the at the Temppeliaukio Church, well-known for its great acoustics, and was met with a warm welcome by the audience.

Embassy of Greece in Bucharest

On May 5, an anniversary event for the 100th anniversary of the birth of two internationally renowned Greek composers, Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hadjidakis, was held in Bucharest under the auspices of the Greek Embassy. The event, organized by the Cultural Association of the Greek community in Romania – “Nostos,” took place at the historic Ateneul Român in the center of Bucharest, featuring the 50-member Mixed Choir of the Municipality of Xanthi, the birthplace of Manos Hadjidakis, who performed famous songs by the two great Greek composers, accompanied by piano. In parallel, the life, multifaceted work, and cultural journeys of the two creators were showcased through narrative presentations. In the hall, which seats 800 people, was fully packed, with the audience including numerous members of the Diplomatic Corps, a significant number of Romanian guests, as well as Greek entrepreneurs and many members of the local Greek community.

Embassy of Greece in Havana

On May 29, a musical event was held by the Embassy of Greece in Havana, in collaboration with Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for the completion of 95 years of diplomatic relations between Greece and Cuba, as well as the 100-year anniversary since the birth of Mikis Theodorakis. Greek pianist Konstantina Vidalaki was invited by the Cuban side to perform famous works by the legendary composer. The event was successfully held at the venue “Casa de las Tejas Verdes”, under the coordination of the Centro Nacional de Musica de Concierto, while the pianist gave another solo recital at the Centro Nacional while in Cuba.

Embassy of Greece in Berlin

On June 16, a commemorative event was held at the Embassy of Greece in Berlin. The event was addressed by Mr. Asteris Koutoulas, close associate of the late artist, as well as by the Ambassador of Greece to Germany. The audience included representatives from the political, diplomatic, cultural, and academic sectors, along with members of the Greek community in Berlin.

Embassy of Greece in Luxembourg

On June 11, the concert LëtzMikis was organized by the Greek Community of Luxembourg and the associations Hellenic Culture in Luxembourg and Les Amis de la Grèce, under the auspices of the Embassy of Greece in Luxembourg. The evening brought together the Chœur Ambitus of Echternach, directed by Robert Schiltz, and the Chorale de la Communauté Hellénique du Luxembourg, directed by Mária Devitzaki, alongside distinguished Luxembourgish and Greek soloists and musicians.

Embassy of Greece in Nicosia

On June 24, a musical event was held in the garden of the Ambassador’s Residence in Nicosia, featuring works by composers Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hadjidakis (the 100^th anniversary of whose birth was also celebrated in 2025), performed on the piano by the distinguished musician Manolis Neophytou in his own arrangements. The evening was attended by approximately 100 guests, including government officials, members of Cyprus’ political, ecclesiastical, and intellectual community, foreign colleagues, journalists, as well as the country’s military leadership. The event received extensive media coverage in the local press and on television.

Additionally, the Greek Embassy in Nicosia sponsored and provided support for a special literary and musical tribute titled “In Memoriam Theodorakis-Hatzidakis,” which took place on October 11-12, as part of the 10th Nicosia Book Festival.

Embassy of Greece in Montevideo

On July 29, a commemorative event honouring the composer was successfully held in the main auditorium of the School of Humanities at the National University of Uruguay. The event was organized by the Embassy of Greece in Montevideo, the “Maria Tsakos” Cultural Foundation, and the School’s Foreign Languages Centre, where Greek is also taught. Supported through the generous sponsorship of the “Maria Tsakos” Foundation, the event was attended by Uruguayan Philhellenes and representatives of various embassies. The Ambassador of Greece in Montevideo, Mr. Stavros Spyridakis, participated via a recorded message.

Consulate General of Greece in Montreal

In August, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, OSM) included works from Mikis Theodorakis’ classical repertoire in the program of two concerts: On August 13, at the Concert in Montreal’s Olympic Park, they performed the final movement of the 2^nd Symphony (The Song of the Earth), and on August 16, at Montreal’s largest concert hall, Maison Symphonique, they presented the Sinfonietta for Flute, Piano, and String Orchestra by Mikis Theodorakis.

For the widest possible participation of the Greek Diaspora -and especially the younger generation- there was mobilization and close cooperation among a large number of organizations within Montreal’s Greek Community, under the coordination of the Consulate General of Greece in Montreal.

Consulate General of Greece in Hamburg

On September 7, Theodorakis’ emblematic work Axion Esti (on poetry by Nobel prize winner Odysseus Elytis) was presented by the orchestra of St. Stephen’s Church in Bremen, in in an event held under the auspices of the Consulate General of Greece in Hamburg. In his remarks, the Consul General highlighted the enduring and universal nature of Theodorakis’ work.

Consulate General of Greece in Saint Petersburg

On September 13, the Consulate General of Greece in Saint Petersburg successfully organized a concert in cooperation with the Fabergé Museum, hosted in the museum’s White Columns Hall. The program included well-known songs by Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hadjidakis, performed by soprano Eleni-Lydia Stamellou and guitarist Anatoly Izotov. The audience turnout was remarkable, with the audience including Russian art enthusiasts, members of the Greek community, as well as an international audience. The outstanding interpretation of the works by the artists captivated the attendees and received enthusiastic comments.

Embassy of Greece in Tel Aviv

On September 29, the Embassy of Greece in Tel Aviv organized a concert dedicated to the memory of Greek student Ionas Karousis, who was killed during the terrorist attack of 1 October 2024 in Tel Aviv. The concert, hosted in the concert hall of the Music School of Tel Aviv University, featured compositions by Manos Hadjidakis and Mikis Theodorakis. Sponsorship was provided by the Greek-Israeli Chamber of Commerce and the Buchmann–Mehta School of Music of Tel Aviv University.

Consulate General of Greece in Chicago

On October 3, the Consulate General of Greece in Chicago, in collaboration with the Hellenic American Leadership Council, organized a concert at Loyola Academy dedicated to the work of Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hadjidakis. The event, titled “When Music Became Greece,” was performed by musicians and singers from Chicago and featured the participation of the dance group “Orpheus Hellenic Folklore Society,” and also students from the school of the Greek Orthodox Community of St. Nectarios. The event was a great success, as it was sold out, with more than 600 spectators filling the hall. The anniversary concert received extensive coverage in local Greek-American media and attracted notable interest on social media.

Embassy of Greece in Panama

On October 27, the Embassy of Greece in Panama organized a recital, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of Panama, the University of Panama, local cultural institutions, and representatives of the Greek community. The recital featured performances by Angelos Theodorakis -grandson of the great composer-, Natalia Kotsani, and Alkis Kollias on the piano, and was held in the presence of Margarita Theodorakis, the composer’s daughter, and Panama’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Javier Martinez-Acha, who both who addressed the event. A reception for 100 guests followed.

Embassy of Greece in Skopje

On October 8, the Embassy of Greece in North Macedonia organized a special evening celebrating Mikis Theodorakis’ music, featuring performances by singer Kleoniki Demiri, pianist Achilleas Gouastor, accordionist Lefteris Grivas, and string musician Dimitris Koufogiorgos, at the National Opera and Ballet in Skopje.

Embassy of Greece in Warsaw

The Embassy of Greece in Warsaw granted its honorary auspices to the Greek Culture Festival held in October–November in the city of Bielsko-Biała in southern Poland. The festival concluded with a concert of Greek music titled “My Second Home Away from Athens.” The performance was enriched with works by Greece’s two greatest composers, Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hadjidakis. The Embassy was represented at the event, and the attending official conveyed an opening greeting on behalf of the Ambassador.

Embassy of Greece in Hague

To mark the 100th anniversary of Mikis Theodorakis’ birth, acclaimed Dutch conductor and former artistic director of the renowned Nederlands Blazers Ensemble (NBE), Bart Schneemann, presented a series of sold-out concerts dedicated to the composer’s work in collaboration with producer Panagiotis Kalantzis.

The concerts featured Dutch and Greek musicians, among them Vasilis Lekkas, offering Greek performances and a rich musical experience to the audience. Additionally, through the screening of historical film footage in collaboration with the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT), the multifaceted personality of Mikis Theodorakis was highlighted.

The concerts took place in October 2025 in seven cities across the Netherlands and were a huge success, receiving rave reviews from audiences and the media alike, and putting Greece at the center of the global music scene.

Embassy of Greece in Santiago

On 4 November 2025, a concert dedicated to the works of Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hadjidakis was held at the theater of the Historical Museum and Cultural Center of the Carabineros de Chile, in Santiago, featuring pianist Konstantina Vidalaki. Approximately 300 people attended the event, including members of the Diplomatic Corps led by Apostolikos Nountsios, members of the Greek community, and local citizens. A reception followed the concert. The event was covered by the Reuters news agency and was so successful that the Colonel, head of the Historical Museum and Cultural Center of the Carabineros, requested that the collaboration be repeated in 2026.