Greek pop-rock composer Nikos Antypas dies, aged 68

Popular Greek arthouse pop and rock composer Nikos Antypas has died at the age of 68, the singer Alkistis Protopsalti announced in a social media post.

Antypas, who penned scores of tunes for Protopsalti and other renowned Greek vocalists and had worked with some of the country’s top songwriters, died on Monday night in intensive care after suffering a stroke.

Born in the Athens neighborhood of Kallithea in 1954, Antypas broke out on the Greek music scene as a drummer for the legendary rock band Socrates and went on as a session musician, working with George Dalaras, Thanos Mikroutsikos and Vassilis Papakonstantinou, among many others.

He orchestrated his first album in 1991, Eleftheria Arvanitakis’ “Meno Ektos,” and in 1992 penned the music for the soaring hit ballad “Di’Efchon” with lyrcis by Lina Nikolakopoulou and performed by Haris Alexiou. 

He went on to work with almost every top name in the Greek arthouse rock and pop scene, including Marinella and Nana Mouschouri, as well as with choreographer Dimitris Papaioannou.