The Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra ushered in 2025 by honoring the 100th anniversary of the birth of the eminent Greek composer, Mikis Theodorakis. The program featured a journey through his compositional legacy, from his first work that deeply connected him with the Greek folk music tradition, "Greek Carnival," to his final major artistic creation, "Odyssey." Seven songs from "Odyssey" were orchestrated for symphony orchestra by Antonis Sousamoglou and Lazaros Tsavdaridis and were performed for the first time in this new arrangement. Poet Kostas Kartelias, whose lyrics in these songs inspired Mikis Theodorakis to set them to music, was also present at the concert.
The program included many well-known and beloved songs by Mikis Theodorakis, with lyrics by G. Theodorakis, Elytis, Gatsos, Seferis, Tripolitis, Anagnostakis, and Ritsos. These songs were also arranged for symphony orchestra by Sousamoglou and Tsavdaridis. The performance was a celebration of Greece, featuring the renowned voice of Maria Farantouri and conducted by the longtime Director of the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, Maestro Myron Michailidis.