Vangelis

Vangelis was born Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou in the Greek town of Agria. He was a self-taught musician who became a young piano prodigy. Then he moved to ...

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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 prog-rocker and Oscar-winning composer for films like Chariots of Fire and Blade Runner, has died at the age of 79.

“I think it’s more important to achieve a harmonious result without giving any importance to the source from which a sound originates. The score is now considered one of the greatest works in the electronic music genre, despite not getting a physical release until a decade after the film’s release. I’ve done all my film scores like this, and worked on my albums in the same way. While Chariots of Fire earned all the accolades, Vangelis’ next score was perhaps even more influential: In 1982, he created the electronic soundscape that accompanied Ridley Scott’s sci-fi noir classic Blade Runner, with Vangelis’ synthesizer radiating the director’s bleak urban future. No cause of death was provided, but Greek newspaper OT reports that Vangelis died at a hospital in France where he was being treated for Covid-19. Born in Agria and raised in Athens, Papathanassíou learned piano at a young age, though despite being enrolled in an Athens music school, he never formally learned how to read or write music.

He also scored the films “Blade Runner” and “Missing” and Carl Sagan's PBS series “Cosmos.”

His music connected the sacred space with outer space — a quality that made it a natural fit for the movies, where many of his fellow “cosmic synth” artists migrated. In 2016, he released a now-retro synth album, “Rosetta,” inspired by the European Space Agency’s probe mission of the same name. I explained he could kill someone, and he just laughed, saying he was Greek. ‘Don’t worry, Jonny.’ ” In 1992, Vangelis teamed up again with Scott for the Columbus epic “1492: Conquest of Paradise.” Its infectious anthems blended electronics, choir and primitive instruments, and the soundtrack conquered the European pop charts. He received his first Hammond organ as a teenager and painted it gold. “I won’t even rerecord a thing if I play a bum note,” he told Beat Instrumental in 1975. While others were experimenting with modular, sequenced rhythms, Vangelis played his synthesizers like a church organ, drenching big melodies in massive, artificial reverb to create the feeling of sound in a cathedral. He provided music for high-profile special occasions, including for the Olympic Games in 2000 and 2004. “Whether you like this opulent, symphonic sound or not, the melodies catch — and if you’ve ever tried anything in music, you know how hard that is.” He moved to Paris after the 1967 military coup in Greece and co-founded the progressive rock band Aphrodite’s Child, which released three successful albums that collectively sold more than 20 million copies in Europe. Its theme remains one of the most recognizable — and parodied — in film music history. It became an exemplar in the genre and continued to influence bands and film composers decades later.

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Vangelis, the Greek electronic composer who wrote the unforgettable Academy Award-winning score for the film “Chariots of Fire” and ...

“Decca had the pleasure of partnering with Vangelis and his team for his past three albums and we will miss him enormously. “Vangelis created music of extraordinary originality and power, and provided the soundtrack to so many of our lives,” it said. When British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking died in 2018, Vangelis composed a musical tribute for his interment that the ESA broadcast into space. The signature piece is one of the hardest-to-forget movie tunes worldwide — and has also served as the musical background to endless slow-motion parodies. It’s one of the most instantly recognizable musical themes in cinema — and its standing in popular culture has only been confirmed by the host of spoofs it has sired. He was fascinated by space exploration and wrote music for celestial bodies, but said he never sought stardom himself.

The Greek electronic composer who wrote the unforgettable Academy Award-winning score for “Chariots of Fire” and music for dozens of other movies, ...

“Decca had the pleasure of partnering with Vangelis and his team for his past three albums and we will miss him enormously. “Vangelis created music of extraordinary originality and power, and provided the soundtrack to so many of our lives,” it said. When British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking died in 2018, Vangelis composed a musical tribute for his interment that the ESA broadcast into space. The signature piece is one of the hardest-to-forget movie tunes worldwide — and has also served as the musical background to endless slow-motion parodies. He was fascinated by space exploration and wrote music for celestial bodies, but said he never sought stardom himself. It’s one of the most instantly recognizable musical themes in cinema — and its standing in popular culture has only been confirmed by the host of spoofs it has sired.

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.

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Vangelis, the Greece-born electronic composer who wrote the Academy Award-winning score for the film “Chariots of Fire” and music for ...

“Decca had the pleasure of partnering with Vangelis and his team for his past three albums and we will miss him enormously. “Vangelis created music of extraordinary originality and power, and provided the soundtrack to so many of our lives,” it said. When British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking died in 2018, Vangelis composed a musical tribute for his interment that the ESA broadcast into space. The signature piece is one of the hardest-to-forget movie tunes worldwide — and has also served as the musical background to endless slow-motion parodies. It’s one of the most instantly recognizable musical themes in cinema — and its standing in popular culture has only been confirmed by the host of spoofs it has sired. He was fascinated by space exploration and wrote music for celestial bodies, but said he never sought stardom himself.

The Greek electronic composer who wrote the unforgettable Academy Award-winning score for “Chariots of Fire” and music for dozens of other movies, ...

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.

The Greek electronic composer who wrote the unforgettable Academy Award-winning score for “Chariots of Fire” and music for dozens of other movies, ...

Blade Runner composer Vangelis, born Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassíou, has died at 79. His assistant confirmed the death in a Paris hospital on late ...

“Music is science more than art, and it is the main code of the universe.” Vangelis, the Oscar-winning Greek composer and progressive rocker, has died at the age of 79. He died on the evening of May 17, his assistant Lefteris Zermas confirmed.

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.

Academy Award-winning composer Vangelis died Tuesday at a hospital in France, where he was being treated for COVID-19.

Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. Vangelis' choral symphony Mythodea was used as the theme for NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey mission. Born Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassíou on March 29, 1943, in Agria, Greece and raised in Athens, he was a self-taught musician from an early age.

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