Λαϊκή Ορχήστρα

The Popular Orchestra “Mikis Theodorakis” was founded in May 1997, by musicians who had played with Mikis Theodorakis, and knew his work well. The orchestra made its debut in June 1997 at the Exoni Theater of Glyfada, where in an extraordinary five-day series, it performed works by the composer in poetry by great Greek poets. Since then, the orchestra gave many popular concerts in Athens and the Greek provinces appearing with distinguished as well as with young promising artists (in alphabetical order: Alexia, Yerasimos Andreatos, Yiorgos Dalaras, Maria Dimitriadis, Maria Farandouri, Petros Gaitanos, Vangelis Germanos, Alkinoos Ioannidis, Melina Kana, Panayiotis Karadimitris, Andreas Karakotas, Aliki Kayialoglou, Loukianos Kilaidonis, Vassilis Lekkas, Sotiria Leonardou, Lavredis Maheritsas, Kostas Makedonas, Afroditi Manou, Manolis Mitsias, Petros Pandis, Jimmy Panoussis, Orpheas Peridis, Kostas Thomaidis, Dionyssis Tsaknis, Eleni Tsaligopoulou, Dimitris Zervoudakis). The orchestra performed at several music stages in the capital and the provinces (Grammes, Vroutos, Ston Aera, Egli, Mylos, Tsai sti Sahara etc.). Also gave a number of concerts in Giorgia in the cities of Tbilisi, Koutaisi, Batoumi and in Pretoria, South Africa. The orchestra’s aim is to promote the work of Mikis Theodorakis through concerts, performances, television broadcasts, recordings, etc. Also, to present complex programs, featuring the composer’s music together with Greek poetry, as it was shaped by modern Greek history, reflecting the struggles for freedom and democracy, the persecutions and disappointments, romance and love. Finally, the orchestra’s musicians are strongly interested in playing a leading role in new initiatives including concerts for peace, against racism and drugs, for prisoners and other, with the aim to make people aware of sensitive social issues. For they believe that through the dual voice of composer and poet, the messages of freedom, of human dignity, of love and happiness, reach the hearts of the people directly.