Historic concert in honour of Mikis Theodorakis held in Athens
- The Left Chapter
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Image via the KKE
On June 25 2025, a remarkable tribute concert took place at the filled-to-capacity Panathenaic Stadium, the site of the first modern Olympic Games, to honour Mikis Theodorakis, a legendary figure in music and the Greek people's fight for freedom, peace, and social justice.
Organized by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and Mikis Theodorakis' family to mark the 100th anniversary of the esteemed composer's birth, the concert left a lasting impression on those present, according to the KKE.
Mikis Theodorakis was a towering figure in 20th-century Greek culture—a prolific composer, political activist, and national icon. Born on July 29, 1925, on the island of Chios, Greece, he composed over 1,000 works across genres, from symphonies and operas to film scores and folk songs.
Internationally, he's best known for his unforgettable music in films like Zorba the Greek (1964), Z (1969), and Serpico (1973). The theme from Zorba, often called “Zorba’s Dance,” became a global symbol of Greek spirit and resilience.
But Theodorakis wasn’t just a composer—he was a fierce political voice. He fought in the Greek Resistance during World War II, was imprisoned and tortured during the Greek Civil War, and later became a vocal opponent of the military junta that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974. His music was banned during that time, and he was imprisoned again before international pressure secured his release.
He served multiple terms in the Greek Parliament for the KKE and was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize in the 1980s.
Theodorakis passed away on September 2, 2021, at the age of 96, leaving behind a legacy that resonates far beyond music. His life was a symphony of resistance, beauty, and unyielding conviction.
At the concert, songs and struggle were intertwined. In his address, Dimitris Koutsoumbas, General Secretary of the CC of the KKE, highlighted that "two concepts completely merged in a historic concert, which objectively takes on the meaning of a historic demonstration, a historic people's rally condemning war." He added, "This concert is a victory for culture and for truly civilized people who cannot remain indifferent when injustice prevails and lies triumph. They cannot go about their business when there are other people around them who are suffering, being humiliated, starving, being crushed or being bombed."
With Yussef Dorkhom, the Palestinian Ambassador to Athens, in attendance, the slogan "Freedom for Palestine" was repeatedly chanted throughout this significant concert-demonstration. Attendees showed their solidarity with the Palestinian people and their rightful struggle for a homeland by chanting slogans and waving Palestinian flags.
The event also saw the presence of Aramis Fuente Hernández, the Cuban Ambassador to Greece, and a delegation from the Vietnamese Embassy in Greece.
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