Royal Opera House Celebrates Callas Centenary with New Exhibit

Maria Callas.(Photo adapted via an original image by Sony Pictures Classics)

The exhibit joins worldwide celebrations of Maria Callas, the famed opera star who died in 1977.

Why all the fuss?

2023 marks 100 years since the birth of the Greek opera star and has been declared the UNESCO Maria Callas Anniversary. Callas was known to her fans as La Divina, and Leonard Bernstein once called her the “Bible of Opera.” She captivated audiences with her voice, musicality, and stage presence, and offstage had a scintillating personal life. She publicly rivalled opera star Renata Tebaldi and had a longstanding love affair with the husband of Jackie Kennedy, Aristotle Onassis.

Almost fifty years after her death, Callas remains one of the industry’s most best-selling recorded artists. Terence McNally’s Tony Award-winning play, Master Class, about a public class Callas gave at Juilliard towards the end of her career, is regularly performed worldwide. In 2020, a hologram of Callas went on a worldwide tour accompanied by a live orchestra. Earlier this year, the Greek National Opera held a festival dedicated to her.

What’s happening now?

The Royal Opera House’s exhibition will feature rare images of Callas and stories and anecdotes related to Callas’ relationship with the famed opera house.

The exhibition runs through November 2023.

The Greek National Opera will also have a gala, exhibition, & documentary coming up as part of their tribute starting November 2023.

Those who can’t make the trip to Greece or London will have to settle for archival recordings. Or, maybe a hologram.

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Sara Schabas

Sara Schabas is a Dora-nominated soprano, writer and yoga teacher. She has performed and created leading roles with companies including Vancouver Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, the Dayton Opera, and Aspen Opera, and is a former member of Barbara Hannigan’s Equilibrium Young Artists. Currently based in Montreal, she is a doctoral student at McGill University — where she recently received the Wirth Vocal Prize — and editor of Art Song Canada magazine.