ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Oscar-winning composer Vangelis says his latest composition, commemorating a NASA mission to Mars, stems from a long love affair with space.
"Science and mythology were the topics which fascinated me since my early childhood,'' the composer said in a pre-concert statement on Wednesday.
Vangelis, who won an Academy Award for the soundtrack to 1982 film "Chariots of Fire,'' will unveil his new composition "Mythodea" at Athens' Temple of Zeus archaeological site on Thursday.
The choral symphony, which will feature opera divas Jessye Norman and Kathleen Battle, was composed to mark NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey which was launched in April.
The performance is to be accompanied by images of space from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory along with the music of the London Metropolitan Orchestra.
"The saga of Martian exploration continues, now enhanced vividly by the music of Vangelis, which captures part of the spirit," Jim Garvin, NASA's chief scientist for the Mars Exploration Program, said in a statement.
After the performance, French Education Minister Jack Lang is due to award Vangelis the French Academy's medal of the Legion of Honor.
The Mars Odyssey, a spacecraft the size of a small car, was sent to search for water on the Red Planet.
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