Ritsos, Yannis, 1909-90, Greek poet. One of modern Greece's most widely translated poets, Ritsos moved from an early concern with classical themes and style to a more deeply personal lyricism. His writing reflects family tragedies, a stay in a tuberculosis ward, and his political engagement against dictatorship that earned him periods of deportation and house arrest.

Xenakis, Yannis or Iannis, 1922-2001, Greek-French composer, b. Brăila, Romania. Xenakis studied civil engineering in Athens (1940-47) and worked as an architect in Paris (1947-59) with Le Corbusier. He was also a composition pupil of Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud, and Olivier Messiaen. Xenakis used both Greek folk elements and twelve-tone technique in his music. He also developed a "probabilistic" technique of composition, based on the mathematical probability of the recurrence of notes and rhythms. His works include Métastasis (1953-54) for orchestra, Pithoprakta (1957) for strings, and Achorripsis (1958) for 21 instruments. In 1958, Xenakis collaborated with Edgar Varèse on the Poème Electronique. His later compositions often include electronic sound, as in Bohor (1962) and Polytope de Cluny (1972), or virtuoso percussion, as in Psappha (1975), Rebonds (1988), and his last piece, O—Mega (1997). He was a founder of the Centre d'Etudes Mathématiques et Automatiques in Paris and of the Center for Mathematical and Automated Music at Indiana Univ. Xenakis wrote several treatises explaining his various theories.

(born May 1, 1909, Monemvasia, Greece—died Nov. 11, 1990, Athens) Greek poet. He joined the Greek Communist Party in 1934, the year his first collection of poems, Tractors, appeared. It and a second collection mixed socialist philosophy with images of his personal suffering. His third collection, Funeral Lament (1936), provided the words for the anthem of the Greek Left. He fought as a communist during the Nazi occupation and Greek Civil War, and he spent four years in prison camps. Arrested and exiled in 1967, he was prohibited from publishing until 1972. Despite those obstacles, he wrote more than 100 books, including plays and essays.

Learn more about Ritsos, Yannis with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(born May 1, 1909, Monemvasia, Greece—died Nov. 11, 1990, Athens) Greek poet. He joined the Greek Communist Party in 1934, the year his first collection of poems, Tractors, appeared. It and a second collection mixed socialist philosophy with images of his personal suffering. His third collection, Funeral Lament (1936), provided the words for the anthem of the Greek Left. He fought as a communist during the Nazi occupation and Greek Civil War, and he spent four years in prison camps. Arrested and exiled in 1967, he was prohibited from publishing until 1972. Despite those obstacles, he wrote more than 100 books, including plays and essays.

Learn more about Ritsos, Yannis with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Yannis or Yiannis or Giannis is a common Greek name, a variant of John (Hebrew) meaning "the Lord is gracious." Variants include Ioannis, Yanni, Iannis and Yannakis.

Yannis may refer to:

• Giannis Agouris - Greek writer and journalist
• Ioannis Amanatidis - Greek footballer
• Yannis Anastasiou - Greek footballer
• Yiannis Arabatzis - Greek goal keeper
• Yannis Bakos - Economist
• Yannis Bezos - Greek actor
• Yiannis Bourousis - Greek basketball player
• Yannis Brown - Composer
• Yiannis Carras - Greek shipping magnate
• Giannis Christou - Greek composer
• Yiannis Chrysomallis (Yanni) - Greek composer, keyboardist
• Yiannis Dritsas - Greek instant coffee
• Yiannis Eitziridis - Greek musician
• Yannis Goumas - Greek football player
• Yiannis Goumenos - Greek football player
• Yiannis Grivas - Greek judge
• Yiannis Ioannou - Goalkeeper
• Giannis Ioannidis - Greek basketball coach and politician
• Ioannis Kalitzakis - Greek footballer
• Yiannis Kouros - Greek marathon runner
• Ioannis Kyrastas - Greek footballer and football manager
• Yiannis Latsis - Greek shipping tycoon
• Yannis Makriyannis - Greek General
• Yannis Manakis - Greek photographer

• Yannis Margaritis - Greek theater director
• Giannis Markopoulos - Greek composer
• Yiannis Moralis - Greek artist
• Yiannis N. Moschovakis - Greek theorist
• Yiannis Parios - Greek singer
• Yannis Pathiakakis Stadium - Greek stadium
• Yiannis Pharmakis - Greek leader
• Yannis Philippakis - Guitarist and lead singer of Foals
• Yiannis Poulakas - Greek painter and stage designer
• Giannis Poulopoulos - Greek singer
• Yannis Psycharis - Greek author and philologist
• Yiannis Psychopedis - Greek art movement
• Yiannis Ritsos - Greek poet
• Yiannis Skarimbas - Greek writer
• Yannis Smaragdis - Greek film director
• Yannis Spathas - Greek guitarist
• Yannis Stavrou - Greek painter
• Yanni Theodoridis - Greek trumpeter
• Yannis Tsarouchis - Greek painter
• Yannis Xirotiris - Greek educator
• Yannis Yfantis - Greek writer and poet
• Iannis Xenakis - Greek composer
• Giannis Zouganelis - Greek musician