Famed Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis dies at 96

Tributes pour in for music giant, politician and activist after the announcement of his death in Athens.

Mikis Theodorakis, the beloved Greek composer whose spirited music and life of political defiance won international acclaim and inspired millions at home, has died. He was 96. His death on Thursday at his home in central Athens was announced on state television and followed multiple hospitalisations in recent years, mostly for heart treatment. Theodorakis’s prolific career, which started at age 17, produced a hugely varied body of work that ranged from somber symphonies and an anthem for the Palestinian Liberation Organization to popular television and the film scores for, Serpico, and, Zorba the Greek.