Renowned Greek composer and former minister of culture Thanos Mikroutsikos died after a long fight with cancer. He was 72 years old.
Mr Mikroutsikos died on Saturday, of heart failure at the Metropolitan Hospital in Athens, reported ekathimerini.
He was a lifelong leftist and was respected on all sides of the political spectrum. He served as Alternate Culture Minister 1993 to 1994 and succeeded the late Melina Mercouri as culture minister 1994-96. Ms Mercouri also died of cancer.
When he was young, Mr Mikroutsikos studied music and mathematics. He first found success as a composer in the mid-1970s and his political songs found favour following the collapse of the military junta that had ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974.
He did not confine himself to politically themed music, he wrote popular music that was flavoured by his experimentation in electronic and atonal sounds. He also composed chamber music and for the theatre.
A civilian funeral ceremony will be held, according to his wishes, on Monday at the First Cemetery in Athens.