MARIA FARANTOURI

She is a leading Greek singer with international appeal. In 1967, with the imposition of dictatorship, she left Greece in order to fight for freedom and democracy giving thousands of concerts worldwide. As an ideal interpreter of Mikis Theodorakis, she has sung some of his greatest works such as Canto General (poetry by Pablo Neruda), Romancero gitano (poetry by F. G. Lorca, which she also recorded with the internationally renowned guitarist John Williams), State of Siege (poetry by Rena Hadjidaki), March of the Spirit (poetry by Angelos Sikelianos) and The Ballad of Mauthausen (poetry by Iakovos Kambanellis, which she performed at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in 1991 with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta). She has performed in world premiere works by Manos Hadjidakis such as The Era of Melissanthi, The Paralogues, Dark Mother and Amorgos. Her vast discography includes songs by Kurt Weill (on texts by Bertolt Brecht), Zülfü Livaneli, Lucio Dalla, poetic masterpieces, works especially written for her voice. In his book L’Abeille et L’Architect François Mitterrand, President of the French Republic, notes, among other things, that “for me Maria is Greece”.