Vangelis

Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou, better known as Vangelis, is a Greek composer and musician born on March 29, 1943, in Volos, Greece. He is known for his film scores, notably for Blade Runner, and for composing the official music for the 1984 Olympic Games opening ceremonies.

Vangelis began his musical career in the 1960s by performing in jazz clubs in Thessaloniki. He later founded the group Aphrodite's Child with singer Demis Roussos, with whom he recorded several albums before embarking on a solo career in 1971. His most famous albums include Albedo 0.39 (1976), Spiral (1977), Heaven and Hell (1975), and China (1979).

In the 1980s, Vangelis composed the music for several films, including Blade Runner (1982), Missing (1982), and 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992). In 1984, he composed the official music for the Los Angeles Olympic Games opening ceremonies. He also composed the music for several documentaries, such as Les Yeux dans les eaux (1996) and La Marche de l'empereur (2005).

In 2007, Vangelis was named Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Ministry of Culture.