Greek composer Thanos Mikroutsikos dies aged 72

He passed away on Saturday night from cardiopulmonary arrest at the Metropolitan Hospital, where he had been hospitalised for the last few weeks fighting cancer.

The whole of Greece is in mourning at the news of his death.

Thanos Mikroutsikos was born in Patras in 1947 and studied piano at Patras Philharmonic Society and the Greek Conservatory and mathematics at Athens University. He started to compose at the end of the 60s and released his first album in 1975 and his music was characteristic of the 1975-78 period immediately following the fall of the dictatorship. He achieved international recognition with his music being accompanied by the wonderful singer Maria Dimitriadi.

He was Artistic Director of the New Music Company and the Music Stand and was the inspiration behind the Patras International Festival, of which he was the Director. In 1993 he was appointed Deputy Minister for Culture in the PASOK Government and a year later (following the death of Melina Mercouri) he became Minister until 1996.

He was passionate about politics and declared himself to be a Marxist. For a period of time he was a member of the Greek Communist Party but left in 1982. During the 'Dirty '89' period he stood by Andreas Papandreou and spoke out against the decision of the Left to join a coalition with Konstantinos Mitsotakis, whom Mikroutsikos called " the high priest of corruption".

He reappeared on the political scene years later at the 2015 Referendum where he supported No.