Composer Vangelis, who wrote the theme songs for Chariots of Fire and the Korea-Japan World Cup, passes away at 79 years old

Greek musician Vangelis Photo by EPA Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Vangelis, the world-renowned Greek musician who composed the theme song for the movie Chariots of Fire, has passed away at the age of 79, AFP and Athens News Agency (ANA) reported on the 19th (local time). Vangelis also formed a connection with Korea by composing the official anthem "Anthem" for the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup.

According to reports, Vangelis's lawyer's office released a statement on the day confirming that Vangelis (real name Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou) had passed away. The cause of death has not been disclosed, but it is reported that he had been receiving treatment at a hospital in Paris, France.

Vangelis was a legendary musician who built his reputation as a performer and composer over the past half-century, traveling between Europe and the United States. He was also well known as a member of the Greek rock trio "Aphrodite's Child," which was popular among Korean pop music fans in the 1970s. He consistently released studio albums and showcased his musical talents across various fields including film, TV, theater, and dance.

What elevated Vangelis to the ranks of world-class musicians was the theme song for the movie Chariots of Fire (1981), which depicted the friendship of British athletes who competed in the 1924 Paris Olympics. With this piece, he won the Best Original Score at the 54th Academy Awards in 1982 and topped the Billboard album and singles charts the same year. He remains the only Greek recipient of an Academy Award. The song was also used in the 2012 London Olympics.

In addition, theme songs he composed for films directed by Ridley Scott, such as Blade Runner (1982) and 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992), gained worldwide popularity.

Fascinated by space from a young age, Vangelis worked on the music for the TV documentary Cosmos, featuring famous astronomer Carl Sagan, and created the theme music related to NASA’s Mars probe "2001 Mars Odyssey" launched in 2001. When British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking passed away in 2018, a special funeral piece based on Hawking’s voice was played using a playback device.

Born in 1943 to a painter father and a mother who studied music, Vangelis was a musical prodigy who composed music and held piano concerts at the age of six without formal music education, AFP reported. In a 1988 interview with a Greek media outlet, he stated that not having formal music training actually helped him maintain his musical creativity.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his condolences on Twitter upon hearing the news of Vangelis’s passing. Mitsotakis called Vangelis a "pioneer of electronic music" and wrote, "He has embarked on a long journey riding the Chariots of Fire."