Legendary Greek composer Mimis Plessas passed away early on Saturday morning in Athens just one week shy of his 100th birthday, marking a great loss for Greek music.
The news of the death of Mimis Plessas was announced by his wife Loukila Carrer-Plessa with a touching farewell post on social media: “And suddenly “Deep silence fell…”…..”And you won’t be by my side, Star of my Life…,” starting with a lyric of one of his most famous songs.
One of the many things that could be written in his obituary would be that there hasn’t been a single day that the average Greek has not listened to one of his songs in one way or other either on the radio,television, or through streaming.
Mimis Plessas was among the most important and prolific Greek composers. He crossed from jazz to light music to laika to artistic folk to movie themes with characteristic ease. From an early age, he stood out with his talent in Greece and internationally.
A lustrous career
Mimis Plessas was born in Athens on October 2024. He studied at the Lycée Léonin then studied chemistry at the School of Physics and Mathematics at the University of Athens. At an early age, he became the first piano soloist at the National Radio Foundation. He continued his studies in chemistry in the United States but did not put aside his love for music.
In 1952, at the age of 28, he was awarded the University of Minnesota first music prize in piano , and the following year, he was ranked fifth in the United States. In 1952, he started working professionally, and from 1956, he started a career as conductor and composer.
His artistic and compositional activity covered all areas of music, in theater, cinema, radio, and television. He collaborated with many top singers, many of whom became famous.
He also wrote music for film and theater, with 104 films and 70 plays to his credit.
An awarded composer
Mimis Plessas conducted renowned orchestras across the world and received seven international distinctions in Barcelona in 1960, Warsaw in 1962, Belgium in 1963, Italy (Alto Monte) in 1964, the USA in 1965, Paris in 1968, and Tokyo in 1970. He was also awarded six times in Greece (Athens and Thessaloniki) in 1959, 1963, 1964, and 1967.
Plessas also wrote songs sung by famous singers including Zoi Kourouklis, Nana Mouskouri, Tzeni Vanou, Giovanna, Marinella, Rena Koumioti, Yiannis Vogiatzis, Yiannis Poulopoulos, Tolis Voskopoulos, and Stratos Dionysiou. Some of them owe their singing career and fame to his compositions.
The Greek composer has been repeatedly honored with platinum and gold discs, while his album The Road (1969), with lyrics by Lefteris Papadopoulos, unquestionably holds first place in the Greek discography as the best selling album of all time. Many of his hit songs were collaborations with lyrics writer Lefteris Papadopoulos.
Mimis Plessas wrote the music for many unforgettable songs, and he will remain an integral part of Greek music in the hearts and minds of all.
Among his greatest hits are:
- “If I Refuse You, My Love”
- “That Morning in Kifissia”
- “What Did I Do to You and You Drink?”
- “So Many Dummers”
- “Who Knows?”
- “The Beads”
- “But Now My Love”
- “Myrsini Wears White”
- “I Want You Tonight”
- “Don’t Talk to the Child”
- “If You See the Moon”
- “Our First Night”
- “Get Drunk Tonight My Girl”
- “First Time”
- “The Kisses”
- “Deep Silence”
- “A Thousand Nights”
- “The Boy’s Heart”
- “I’ll Drink the Moon Tonight”
- “Sunday Dawn”
- “Girl Stop and Tell You”
- ” All Yours”
- “I’m a Woman of Pleasure”
- “Over to the Old Garages”
- “First Time”
- “I Cried Yesterday”
- “My Candle Melted”
- “Now You Want Me, Now You Drive Me Away”
- “The Days of Summer “
- “The Sun Found Me”
Memorable works
Among Mimis Plessas’ memorable works was the production of radio show “In 30 Seconds” which was a knowledge award show with various prizes in the 1960s – 1970s. He was also a member of the Hellenic Society of Playwrights, the Society of Composers Lyricists of Greece, ERGIM. In 2010, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Department of Chemistry of the University of Patras (2010) and a doctorate in Chemistry from Cornell University, U.S.A.
In 1993 he wrote the music for a play based on George Orwell’s book “Animal Farm” presented at the National Theater directed by Dimitris Potamitis and in 1998 he completed the People’s Opera “Zeus” with a libretto by Yiannis Kalamitsis. In 1999, to a libretto by Iakovos Avlitis, he completed the oratorio “Cosmas Aetolos, the Saint of Slaves”, which was presented in 2002 at the Athens Concert Hall.
Mimis Plessas’ compositions were recorded in the U.S.A., Great Britain, France, the Netherlands and Spain, with important performers, soloists and groups. In 2009, at the Veakeio Theater, he created a unique concert dedicated to “Voice”, after being commissioned by the International Organization for Speech Therapy and Phonology (IALP). Singers from all genres of music participated.
In 2010, his songs were translated into Turkish by Fide Koksal and the album “BRIDGES” was released in Greece and Turkey.
In 2011 he gave two concerts as a tribute to his entire work, entitled “Timeless Songs”, with 23 performers and actors, musical ensembles, jazz groups and choirs, at the Badminton Theatre. The concerts were repeated in 2012 at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall and the Komotini Concert Hall.
In 2016, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his first recorded work, the soundtrack for the film “Renndez-vous in the Air” by Yiannis Dalianidis, he presented his last complete work “Diaphanos Stavros” with Thanos Olympios as the performer. The album went platinum. In 2022 he created his official orchestra, the Mimis Plessas Orchestra.
Distinctions
The Greek composer was repeatedly honored in Greece and abroad, while he was awarded several gold and platinum records. In Greece, among many other distinctions, he was honored in 2000 for his 50 years of contribution to Greek music and culture by the Municipality of Athens with the award of the “Gold Medal of the City” in a major symphonic concert at the Athens Concert Hall.
In 2001, he was awarded the Golden Cross of the Order of the Phoenix for his contribution to Greek culture by the then President of the Republic Kostis Stefanopoulos. In addition, he was honored in 2002 for his 50 years in the Greek music scene in a concert at the Odeon Od Herodes Atticus by the Ministry of Culture/
In 2004 he was pronounced “Man of the Year” by the Minister of Culture at the ceremony of personalities for his contribution to world culture and in 2005 with the assignment by the Athens Festival of the opening concert to celebrate the 50 years of the institution.
In 2006 the Academy of Personalities honored him for his overall contribution to culture and in 2007 Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew awarded him with the Grand Cross of Saint Andrew in a special event at the Constantinople Patriarchate.
On October 12, 2024 a concert to celebrate a century of his life was organized to take place at Pallas Theater in Athens. However, a week before, Mimis Plessas sadly left to meet the stars he helped create.
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