Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassou was an electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, and symphonic music composer from Greece. He died on May 17, 2022.
He is best known for his Oscar-winning score for Chariots of Fire (1981), as well as scores for Blade Runner (1982), Missing (1982), Antarctica (1983), The Bounty (1984), 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992), and Alexander (2004), as well as the use of his music in Carl Sagan’s 1980 PBS documentary series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage.
Vangelis began his career in the 1960s as a member of many pop bands, including The Forminx and Aphrodite’s Child, whose album 666 (1972) became a progressive-psychedelic rock masterpiece.
Vangelis wrote music for many animal documentaries during the 1970s, notably L’Apocalypse des Animaux, La Fête sauvage, and Opéra sauvage, and his success propelled him into the mainstream of cinema composition.
In 1975, he opened Nemo Studios in London, a 16-track studio that he dubbed his “laboratory.” Vangelis developed a musical connection with Jon Anderson, the lead vocalist of progressive rock band Yes, in the early 1980s, and the duo issued numerous albums as Jon & Vangelis; he had previously joined Yes as their keyboardist but departed before recording any work with them.
Who Is Vangelis?
Papathanassou Evángelos Odyssée was a Greek composer who worked in the electronic, jazz, ambient, and classical music genres, among other genres. He passed away on May 17th, 2022.
What Is Vangelis Famous For?
Vangelis was famous for his Oscar-winning score for Chariots of Fire (1981), as well as scores for Blade Runner (1982), Missing (1982), Antarctica (1983), The Bounty (1984), 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992), and Alexander (2004), as well as the use of his music in Carl Sagan’s 1980 PBS documentary series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage.
