The music of composer John Psathas was heard at the opening of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece on 13 August 2004. Mr Psathas has composed and arranged music to accompany parts of the opening ceremonies. The music of composer John Psathas was heard at the opening of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece on 13 August 2004. Mr Psathas has composed and arranged music to accompany parts of the opening ceremonies.The most prestigious engagement of his career to date, he joins the ranks of well-known composers such as John Williams, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Leonard Bernstein and Mikis Theodorakis who have also written music for the Olympics. His music has the potential to be heard by a world-wide audience.

Mr Psathas was engaged in 2003 to compose and arrange music for the Games' opening and closing ceremonies. He has since commuted several times between Wellington and Athens to work on the music and supervise the rehearsal process.

His music includes a number of especially composed fanfares and processionals to accompany the arrival of the IOC President, the lighting of the Olympic cauldron and to precede the Olympic oaths, and he is responsible for the soundtrack to the entire 'flame sequence' of the ceremony. Mr Psathas has also arranged the National Anthem of Greece, the Olympic Hymn, and music by Shostakovich, Debussy and the foremost living Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis to accompany other parts of the ceremony. The fireworks at the Games' closing ceremony on 29 August will also feature music composed by Mr Psathas.

John Psathas is a leading figure amongst the younger generation of New Zealand composers. New Zealand-born, he lives in Wellington where works as a senior lecturer in music at Victoria University. His music, which reflects his Greek heritage as well as the influences of jazz and rock music, is heard around the world. Recently Zeibekiko, a programme of music conceived and created by Mr Psathas to celebrate Greek music of antiquity and the present day, was toured in Holland and the UK by the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble. In 2005, Mr Psathas looks forward to the American premiere of his work View from Olympus, which is to be performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. The work was first performed at the Royal Gala finale concert of the 'Pulse' International Festival of Rhythm held during the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, UK.