To mark the 100th birthday of Maria Callas, Athens is dedicating a museum to the soprano who helped the city to shine. It’s an opportunity to look back on a legendary career that left an indelible mark on the world of opera.
Opened on 26 October in the heart of Athens, the Maria Callas Museum is the very first space dedicated exclusively to the soprano. The cultural centre highlights the artist’s beginnings, her years in Greece, her professional life, her major roles, her personal life and, of course, the legacy she left on the opera world after her death.
“Residents and visitors to the city will have the opportunity to get to know her, to feel her and to listen to her in a modern and accessible space in the heart of Athens”, said Konstantinos Dedes, President of Technopolis of the Municipality of Athens.
The exhibition includes some 1,000 archive items, including texts, objects, videos and audio extracts.
From conservatory in Greece to international fame
Sophie Cecilia Kalogeropoulos, whose stage name would become Maria Callas, was born in 1923 in New York to Greek parents. Despite a complex and tense family situation, the little girl grew up in a music-loving environment. The radio broadcast operas from the MET and the latest music of the day, while the piano played melodies around the house. Along with her sister Jackie, Maria began singing at a very early age, both at home and at school.
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Front page photo: ©Maria Callas Museum / Vangelis Patsialos
