Giorgos Hatzidakis: The British producer of the Bofiliou–Haroulis tour responds – “His wish has no legal force outside Greek territory”

According to the foreign production company organizing the global tribute tour to Manos Hatzidakis and Mikis Theodorakis by the Hellenic Music Ensemble – featuring Natassa Bofiliou, Yiannis Haroulis, and acclaimed American Broadway star Judy Kuhn – Giorgos Hatzidakis, the adopted son of Manos Hatzidakis, is entirely unauthorized to intervene in public performances of Hatzidakis’ works abroad.

“There is no legal action against the tour, since the composer’s heir has no legal right to approve or reject public performances of his published music outside Greek territory,” Michel Boersma, founder and CEO of the UK-based company GTP Touring Limited, which is organizing the tour, replied to protothema.gr. He added pointedly: “The heir has wishes, and wishes cannot be legally enforced. Therefore, we have no legal obligation to obtain his consent.”

From this response it emerges that Giorgos Hatzidakis has, legally, the authority to grant or deny permission for performances of the great composer’s music only within Greece, for public uses such as concerts, shows, film shoots, advertisements—like the recent mobile phone commercial featuring the song ‘Paper Moon’—provided these take place on Greek territory. This is because the rights to Hatzidakis’ works abroad have been assigned to foreign publishers, with their management in each country handled by different rights management organizations, equivalent to those operating in Greece—formerly AEPI, and in recent years EDEM and Autodiaheirisi. This may also be the reason why the tour will not make a single stop in Greece, since in such a case Giorgos Hatzidakis’ consent would be required.

As Michel Boersma further explains in a comment he posted under Giorgos Hatzidakis’ related social media post, “All concerts of the Hellenic Music Ensemble will be licensed in each territory through the appropriate Performing Rights Organizations (PRO). These entities legally manage the public performance rights of Manos Hatzidakis’ works according to international reciprocal agreements, and the corresponding licensing fees are duly paid.”

He also notes that Hatzidakis’ works have for years been performed in numerous concerts and cultural events under standard PRO licenses, the most recent being on November 17, 2025, in Vienna, under the auspices of the Greek Embassy in Austria and hosted by ORF, the Austrian public broadcaster.

The founder and CEO of the production company behind the two-month tour, which includes 22 concerts across Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand, also highlights both its high artistic level and the great artistic value of the two Greek performers participating: “This is a thoughtful and worthy tribute, performed by top Greek musicians—the next generation of Greece’s legendary singers—and presented in iconic concert halls,” he stresses, adding meaningfully: “The quality and talent of the performers are indisputable. Yet, according to Hatzidakis’ heir, they are not worthy of performing his work. This is an arbitrary decision with no legal force.”

In any case, Michel Boersma states that he is proud of these concerts, which, as he notes, constitute a worthy tribute to the work of Manos Hatzidakis and Mikis Theodorakis and will be hosted in iconic concert halls around the world, including New York’s renowned Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House.