Photo: Ian Patterson / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Vangelis was listed as a film score composer, keyboardist and record producer. Vangelis was born in Agria, Greece on March 29, 1943. Death is recorded on May 17, 2022, at the age of 79. Awards on record include Academy Award for Best Original Score (1982), Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres (2017), Commander of the Order of the Phoenix (2020) and 2 more. Credited works include Mythodea, Chariots of Fire and 1492 – Conquest of Paradise.
My Take
Vangelis is one of those rare artists who genuinely invented a sound — I still remember the first time that Chariots of Fire theme hit me, those rolling synth chords so simple yet so impossibly majestic, and I just thought: how does one person summon that? Born in a small Greek coastal town and entirely self-taught, he never read formal music notation and somehow that freed him to do things trained composers wouldn't dare. The Blade Runner score is arguably the defining sonic portrait of noir future-dread — cold, luminous, melancholy all at once. And 1492: Conquest of Paradise? That piece swells like an actual ocean voyage. He won the Academy Award for Best Original Score in 1982 and collected French honors across decades, but honestly the awards feel almost beside the point. He passed away in May 2022, and the world quietly lost its most atmospheric composer.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Vangelis
- Name (Japanese)
- ヴァンゲリス
- Reading
- ゔぁんげりす
- Born
- March 29, 1943 – May 17, 2022
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Goat
- Origin
- Agria, Greece
- Occupation
- film score composer / keyboardist / record producer / composer / painter
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 1982 Academy Award for Best Original Score
- 2017 Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres
- 2020 Commander of the Order of the Phoenix
- 2001 Knight of the Legion of Honour
- 1992 Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres
3. Works & records
Filmography / notable works
| Category | Title |
|---|---|
| Notable work | Mythodea |
| Notable work | Chariots of Fire |
| Notable work | 1492 – Conquest of Paradise |
| Notable work | Blade Runner |
| Notable work | 666 |
4. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vangelis
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%B4%E3%82%A1%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B2%E3%83%AA%E3%82%B9
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q153172
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Vangelis born?
Born March 29, 1943.
When did Vangelis die?
Died May 17, 2022, aged 79.
Where was Vangelis from?
Vangelis was from Agria, Greece.
What did Vangelis do?
Vangelis worked as film score composer, keyboardist, record producer, composer, painter.
What was Vangelis known for?
Notable works include Mythodea, Chariots of Fire, 1492 – Conquest of Paradise.
Film score composer — see all → · Keyboardist — see all → · More people from Greece →