Maria Cecilia Sophia Anna Kalogeropoulos, known to the larger public as Maria Callas, globally renowned for her pivotal role in reviving the Italian bel canto vocal technique, was born in New York in December 1923 to Greek parents. This October, a much-awaited museum has opened its doors in Athens in honour of the legendary opera diva, who would have celebrated her 100th birthday on December 2, 2023. Indeed, throughout the year, Greece has been commemorating her life with a series of artistic events, and an upcoming film titled “Maria,” starring Angelina Jolie will also pay homage to Callas’ remarkable career.
Visitors are now able to enter Callas’ world, admiring a uniquely curated collection of items once owned by her, a collection of exhibits that has been gathered since the year 2000. They can hear Callas performing famous arias, see her personal belongings, watch videos of her interviews, read testimonials about her, browse folders with additional materials, discover hidden information in drawers or behind reclining surfaces, peruse press clippings on tablets, and much more.
Among the many treasures on display are a lock of her hair, a blue velvet dress she wore after her unforgettable 1955 performance of Verdi’s La Traviata at Milan’s La Scala, her prescription glasses, a notebook she used for memorising her roles, and a selection of her iconic costumes. All items have been either loaned or generously donated to the museum.
The museum, located on Mitropoleos 44 near the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, proposes that viewers start their experience on the second floor, which is dedicated to the “Callas Experience”. Visitors move successively through three rooms that resemble scenes from iconic roles performed by Callas (Norma, Tosca, La Traviata) and immerse themselves in her voice and performance. In a fourth room, they observe Callas teaching in the masterclasses she gave at the Juilliard School in New York in 1971-72.
On the first floor, the narrative unfolds through sections that unravel the life and career of Callas chronologically and thematic islands that deal with aspects of her life in a non-chronological order and can be viewed independently.
During the museum’s opening this October, Mayor of Athens Kostas Bakoyiannis praised the museum’s unique blend of technology and real-life experiences and expressed immense joy and deep respect for the incomparable diva, welcoming the new museum as a fitting tribute to her enduring legacy.
