The celebrated composer, producer, and father of singer Vicky Leandros passed away at 102, leaving behind a musical legacy that bridged Greece and Europe and sold more than 120 million records worldwide

The ministry’s decision honors Hadjidakis’s enduring legacy—a body of work marked by intellect, emotion, and deep devotion to Greece and its culture.

“My view of the situation after April 21 was broadly this: the colonels' coup was, in the long term, a major mistake on the part of the Americans," Theodorakis noted.

Theodorakis toured the world, using his concerts as platforms for protest—not just against the Greek junta, but also in solidarity with oppressed peoples: Spaniards, Portuguese, Kurds, Chileans, Palestinians, and others.