Editing Mikis Theodorakis (section)

== Later life and death ==
He later lived in retirement, reading, writing, publishing arrangements of his scores, texts about culture and politics. On occasions he took position: in 1999, opposing [[NATO]]'s [[Kosovo war]] and in 2003 against the [[Iraq War]]. In 2005, he was awarded the ''Sorano Friendship and Peace Award'', the Russian ''International St.-Andrew-the-First-Called Prize'', the insignia of ''Grand Officer of the Order of Merit'' of [[Luxembourg]], and the ''IMC UNESCO International Music Prize'', while already in 2002 he was honoured in Bonn with the ''[[Erich Wolfgang Korngold]] Prize'' for film music at the International Film Music Biennial in Bonn<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.andante.com/article/article.cfm?id=17497|title=classical music – andante – news|date=11 January 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030111003119/http://www.andante.com/article/article.cfm?id=17497|access-date=14 October 2021|archive-date=11 January 2003}}</ref> (cf also: Homepage of the Art and Exhibition Hall Bonn).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.kah-bonn.de/filmmusik/mikise.htm |title=Art and Exhibition Hall – International Biennal For Film |website=2.kah-bonn.de |date=28 June 2002 |access-date=13 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222234516/http://www2.kah-bonn.de/filmmusik/mikise.htm |archive-date=22 February 2012 }}</ref> In 2007, he received a ''Lifetime Achievement Award'' at the distribution of the ''World Soundtrack Awards'' in Ghent.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://en.mikis-theodorakis.net/index.php/article/articleview/493/1/71/ |title=Mikis Theodorakis – The Home Page – 20.10.07: Lifetime Achievement Award |website=En.mikis-theodorakis.net |date=23 September 2007 |access-date=13 February 2012 |archive-date=7 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210907233114/http://en.mikis-theodorakis.net/index.php/article/articleview/493/1/71/ |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

A final set of songs titled: ''Odysseia'' was composed by utilizing [[poetry]] written by [[Costas Kartelias]] for lyrics. In 2009 he composed a Rhapsody for Strings (Mezzo-Soprano or Baryton ad lib.). Created on 30 January 2013, Theodorakis achieved the distinction of producing one of the largest works by any composer of any time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hri.org/news/greek/apeen/2007/07-03-20_1.apeen.html |title=Athens News Agency: News in English, 07–03–20 |website=Hri.org |access-date=13 February 2012}}</ref>

On 26 February 2019, Theodorakis was hospitalized with heart problems.  On 8 March, he underwent surgery for a [[pacemaker]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/20190307-zorba-composer-mikis-theodorakis-hospital-with-heart-problem|title=Zorba composer Mikis Theodorakis in hospital with 'heart problem'|website=France24.com|date=7 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenationalherald.com/234211/famed-greek-composer-theodorakis-now-anti-syriza-hospitalized/|title=Famed Greek Composer Theodorakis, Now Anti-SYRIZA, Hospitalized|publisher=The National Herald|date=10 March 2019}}</ref> He died of cardiopulmonary arrest at his home in Athens on 2 September 2021, at the age of 96.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="BBC">{{Cite news|date=2 September 2021|title=Mikis Theodorakis, composer of Zorba the Greek, dies aged 96|language=en-GB|publisher=[[BBC News]]|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58419832|access-date=2 September 2021|archive-date=2 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220102134952/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58419832|url-status=live}}</ref> The Greek Prime Minister declared three days of national mourning to honour him,<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news|date=3 September 2021|title=Nation mourns a great Greek|language=en-GB|website=Ekathimerini.com|url=https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1167280/nation-mourns-a-great-greek/|access-date=3 September 2021}}</ref> and his body lay in state in the chapel of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, with thousands of people, including artists, as well as political leaders from all Greek parties paying their last respects. Epitaphs were delivered by the president of the Hellenic Republic, Aikaterini Sakellaropoulou, and the general secretary of the [[Communist Party of Greece]], [[Dimitrios Koutsoumbas]]. Afterwards, according to his will, his body was transferred by boat overnight to be buried in his hometown of Galatas, near Chania, Crete, where his parents and brother {{ill|Giannis Theodorakis|el|Γιάννης Θεοδωράκης (δημοσιογράφος-ποιητής)}} were buried. <ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news|date=8 September 2021|title=Theodorakis' remains depart Piraeus for Crete|language=en-GB|website=Ekathimerini.com|url=https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1167576/theodorakis-remains-depart-piraeus-for-crete/|access-date=8 September 2021}}</ref>