Vangelis 范吉利斯，一位伟大的音乐家，集创作，演奏和音乐制作于一身，一个真正的全才。被人们称为现代的 Richard Wagner 瓦格纳。他的许多史诗般的电子音乐作品和电影配乐深得乐迷们的钟爱，如影片《Chariots Of Fire 火战车》配乐，《Antarctica 南极/南极物语》主题曲，《1492 Conquest Of Paradise 1492征服天堂/哥伦布传》配乐等等。
在很多介绍有关音乐的文章中，都喜欢将音乐人的风格定位，但是这种做法有时偏偏叫乐迷不太认同。其中一个典型的例子就是来自希腊的Vangelis，有人将他归类为New Age，但大多数乐迷都认为这是不尽详实的，因为Vangelis音乐带给我们的感觉，就是一个无际的音乐国度，这也是一位有着出色意念的音乐人的特质。 Vangelis原名Evangelos Odyssey Papathanassion，1943年出生于希腊。六十年代初，他在希腊自组乐队，成为当地的一支流行组合。到了1968年，他移居法国，与另外两位音乐人Demis Roussos和Loukas Sideras共同组合成了前卫乐队。到了七十年代，Vangelis与Yes的歌手Jon Anderson组成了JonAnd Vangelis，带出一份清新而前卫的音乐感觉，当时人们已经很难对Vangelis的音乐进行定位了。到了1982年，Vangelis为电影《Chariots Of Fire 火战车》配乐，结果赢得了奥斯卡——”最佳电影歌曲”奖。如果你是通过《Chariots Of Fire 火战车》而认识Vangelis，这绝对是不够的，因为在1992年，他为Ridley Scott执导的影片《1492 Conquest Of Paradise 1492征服天堂》中的配乐，从而使电影的音乐概念完全体现出来，成为不少音乐学院的教材。碟中主题曲《Conquest of Paradise 征服天堂》，那种史诗般的气派，完完全全是慑人的感觉，精彩绝伦。
Vangelis于1995年在Warner Music UK旗下推出一张专辑《Voices 嗓音/表达/声音》，同时有一张同名单曲推出，这首主题曲《Voices》听起来就象是《1492 Conquest Of Paradise 1492征服天堂/哥伦布传》的翻版。我最新得到大师的一张CD，片名《Oceanic 海洋》，Warner Music 1996年出版，整张片子的乐曲洋溢着一种大海的神韵，每一首的旋律都如此悠扬与神秘，你甚至可以闻到海水的气息， 感受到海风的轻拂，那仿若天际飘来的旋律会将一切尘世的俗念冲刷得一干二净。
喜欢电子音乐的朋友，如果你厌倦了雅尼，可以找来Vangelis的唱片来听听，在国内市场上可以找到《Antarctica 南极/南极物语》、《蛮荒剧》、《Portraits 肖像》、《Voices 嗓音/表达/声音》等。范吉利斯最早的作品是1973为弗雷德里克·罗斯夫的电影《动物启示录》所作的《美人鱼》，这是介于他在巴黎的早期创作实践和后来在伦敦形成的风格之间的作品。
范吉利斯1974年在伦敦建立了自己的录音室：尼摩。在这里，他逐渐创立了自己独特的”范吉利斯之声”。
1975年，《天堂与地狱》发行，这是电子音乐与交响乐结合的标志，其中的第五首《很久了，还如此清晰》也是范吉利斯与歌唱家琼·安德森的首次合作。这以后，两人以“琼和范吉利斯”的名义出版了四张唱片。
by Jason Ankeny
Best known for his lush, Oscar-winning score to the 1981 film Chariots of Fire, Vangelis was among the most successful and admired electronic composers of his era. Born Evangelos Odyssey Papathanassiou in Volos, Greece, on March 29, 1943, his nascent musical talent was recognized at an early age, but he refused to take piano lessons, instead teaching himself. After high school he formed the early-60s pop group Formynx, soon the most popular act in Greece. After achieving superstardom at home, Vangelis relocated to Paris in 1968, and was in France at the time of the student riots; unable to go back home, he formed the progressive rock band Aphrodites Child with fellow Greek expatriates Demis Roussos and Lucas Sideras, soon scoring a major European hit with the single Rain and Tears.
After Aphrodites Child disbanded in 1972, Vangelis joined French filmmaker Frederic Rossif to compose the scores for the features LApocalypse des Animaux and La Fete Sauvage; his proper solo debut, Earth, followed in 1974, around the time he was rumored to be joining Yes. Although Vangelis did rehearse with Yes for a few weeks, he never officially joined their ranks; still, he became close friends with group vocalist Jon Anderson, a frequent collaborator in the years to follow. Relocating to London, Vangelis established his own state-of-the-art recording studio, producing a steady flow of recordings including 1975s Heaven and Hell, 1976s Albedo 0.39, 1977s Spiral, and 1978s Beaubourg. Teaming with Anderson under the name Jon & Vangelis, he also scored a series of U.K. hits, including 1980s I Hear You Now and the following years Ill Find My Way Home.
Vangelis international commercial breakthrough followed in 1982, when his score to Chariots of Fire earned the film one of its many Academy Awards; its theme song even cracked the Top Ten on the U.S. pop charts. That same year, he also created the powerful score to the cult classic Blade Runner, the beginning of a partnership with director Ridley Scott, which also yielded soundtracks to films including 1492: Conquest of Paradise. Vangelis also composed the music for a number of Jacques Cousteau documentaries in addition to maintaining his flourishing solo career, issuing acclaimed LPs including 1985s The Mask, 1988s Antarctica, and 1990s The City. In 1992, he was awarded the Chevalier Order of Arts and Letters, one of Frances most prestigious honors. El Greco followed in 1998.