Biography
Maria Callas (2 December 1923 – 16 September 1977) was a Greek-American soprano and one of the most influential opera singers of the twentieth century. Celebrated for the dramatic intensity of her performances, her musical intelligence and her extraordinary command of contrasting styles, she became known internationally as "La Divina".
She was born in New York City to Greek parents. In 1937 she moved to Athens with her mother and sister and began formal vocal studies at the National Conservatory with Maria Trivella. She later studied at the Athens Conservatory with the Spanish soprano Elvira de Hidalgo, who became one of the most important teachers and mentors of her early career.
Callas began appearing professionally in Athens while still very young. In 1940 she joined the newly established Greek National Opera and during the following years performed roles including Tosca, Santuzza in "Cavalleria rusticana", Leonore in "Fidelio" and Martha in "Tiefland". These performances gave her extensive stage experience during the difficult years of the Second World War and the occupation of Greece.
In 1945 she returned to the United States in search of international opportunities. Two years later she made a decisive breakthrough in Italy when she appeared in the title role of Ponchielli's "La Gioconda" in Verona. The conductor Tullio Serafin became an important artistic mentor and encouraged her to explore a remarkably broad repertoire.
During the late 1940s and 1950s Callas established herself at the leading opera houses of Italy and became closely associated with La Scala in Milan. She performed demanding dramatic roles by Verdi, Puccini and Wagner while also mastering the highly ornamented bel canto works of Bellini, Donizetti and Rossini.
Her interpretations of roles such as Norma, Violetta in "La Traviata", Lucia in "Lucia di Lammermoor", Tosca and Medea became landmarks in modern operatic performance. Callas approached opera not simply as vocal display but as drama, using phrasing, color, rhythm and gesture to create psychologically intense characters.
Her success contributed greatly to the twentieth-century revival of operas that had disappeared or become rare on the international stage. Works by Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini, Cherubini, Gluck and Spontini returned to major opera houses partly because singers, conductors and audiences rediscovered them through performances associated with Callas.
She made her Metropolitan Opera debut in New York in 1956 as Norma and later appeared there in "Tosca", "Lucia di Lammermoor" and "La Traviata". Her final operatic stage performances took place in the mid-1960s.
In 1969 Callas appeared in the title role of Pier Paolo Pasolini's film "Medea". In 1971 and 1972 she returned to New York to give a celebrated series of master classes at the Juilliard School, sharing her ideas about interpretation and the lyric tradition with a new generation of singers.
Maria Callas died in Paris on 16 September 1977. Her recordings and performances continue to influence singers, conductors and directors, and her name remains closely associated with the idea of opera as a complete union of music, voice and drama.
