Francois Mitterand, late president of the French Republic.

Maria Farandouri is one of the most enduring legends of contemporary Greek music. Born in Athens in the aftermath of WWII and the Greek Civil War, she made a name for herself as the lead singer for composer Mikis Theodorakis. In 1967 she joined the struggle against the dictatorship by joining thousands of concerts across the world. During the dictatorship and the year following it, she became the Greek people’s symbol of resistance and hope. She participated in many festival for disarmament and peace, and protested against any form of political oppression, performing with other famous singers such as Myriam Makeba, Juliette Greco, Maria del Mar Bonet, Mercedes Sosa, and the Chilean group Inti Illimani.

Though her rich contralto voice, with its broad range and melodic quality, makes her the ideal interpreter for the music of Mikis Theodorakis, she has also drawn high critical praise for her work with internationally known composers and musicians such as Manos Hadjidakis, Zulfa Livanelli, Lucio Dalla, Leo Brouwer, C. Veloso, M. Nascimento, M. Legrand, Kurt Weil, Vangelis Papathanassiou and John Williams.

The Guardian wrote: “Her voice is controlled passion, a battle cry waiting for a top G to let itself go. She is unique; her voice is a gift from the Gods of Olympus.”

Maria Farandouri will be singing at Yale University on Tuesday, November 5, 2002, at 8:00 PM, at Battell Chapel on the corner of Elm and College Streets. The concert is free and open to the public.