Thanos Mikroutsikos: Musical Genius, Innovator and Political Figure

© 2012 by Theocharis Vagelis

Thanos Mikroutsikos (1947- ) was born in Patras, Greece. Thanos Mikroutsikos is considered as one of the most innovative composers of popular and classical music of Greece. With over 40 albums over his 25-year career, he has objectively become one of the leading composers of the last decades in Greece, standing next to geniuses such as Manos Hadjidakis, Mikis Theodorakis and Stavros Xarchakos.

Thanos Mikroutsikos studied music theory, piano, violin, harmony, polyphony, fugue and composition at the Philharmonic Society of Patras, as well as at the Greek Conservatory. Whilst studying music, Thanos took his BA in Mathematics from the University of Athens.

His music is a mixture of Greek folk, western rock and symphonic rock. He has composed a lot of songs based on poems by Greek and foreign poets such as Cavafy, Elytis, Kavvadias, Brecht, Hikmet, Mayakonsky and Biermann. He has also written operas and symphonic music.

His first album release was the politically themed Politika Tragoudia (Political Songs) in 1975, which was just one year after the fall of the Greek Military Junta. The songs were based on poems by Nazm Hikmet and Wolf Biermann. It must be noted that Thanos Mikroutsikos was persecuted by the fascist regime of the Greek Junta for his anti-dictatorial activities and ideas. After the fall of the Junta, he became initially involved with the Greek Maoists and later with the Panhellenic Socialist Movement of Andreas Papandreou, later Prime Minister of Greece.
Thanos Mikroutsikos continued releasing politically themed albums, such as “Cantata Gia Tin Makroniso” (Giannis Ritsos poetry), “Fuente Ovejuna” (Lope De Vega), “Troparia Gia Foniades” (Manos Eleftheriou) and “Mousiki Praxi Ston Brecht” (Brecht).

His major success came with the release of “Stavros Tou Notou” (Cross of the South) in 1979 and “Grammes Twn Orizontwn” (Horizon’s Lines) in 1991. The songs were based upon poetry of Nikos Kavvadias, a sailor who traveled the world and wrote about his sea adventures.

Other notable work of Thanos Mikroutsikos includes “Embargo” (1982), “H Agapi Einai Zali” (1986), “Ola Apo Heri Kamena” (1988), “Syggnomi Gia Tin Amyna” (1992), “Stou Aeona Tin Paraga” (1996), “O Amlet Tis Selinis” (2002) and “O Shinovatis” (2004).

Besides all the above, Thanos Mikroutsikos has composed many operas and symphonies and chamber music. Furthermore, he has been the Director of Patra's Festival and of the Musical Stand at Megaron of Music. Last but not least he was appointed as Alternate Minister of Culture and Minister of Culture (1994 – 1996).

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