Legendary Diva Maria Callas To Appear In Concert, 46 Years After Her Death, Alongside Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
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Legendary Diva Maria Callas will appear in concert, 46 years after her death, alongside the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
On Thursday, December 7, Tradition and technology will create operatic alchemy when the European Union (EU) presents American-born Greek soprano Maria Callas on the Hamer Hall stage for an extraordinary performance with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
100 years since her birth and 46 years since her death, Maria Calls will appear in concert.
‘Digitally Remastered Recordings Of The Legendary Artist’s Most Loved Arias’
Maria Callas: A Concert in Hologram seamlessly melds state-of-the-art 3D hologram technology and digitally remastered recordings of the legendary artist’s most loved arias.
One of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century, Callas sings works from Bellini, Bizet, Verdi and Gounod, New York conductor, composer and pianist Daniel Schlosberg will lead the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in this unmissable one-night-only concert experience.
According to EU Ambassador Gabriele Visentin, “We see this as part of a celebration of the deep and enduring ties between the European Union and Australia. Culturally both regions share a deep appreciation for the arts and so this event is a chance for us to highlight the EU-Australia friendship through music and cutting-edge innovation, blending the old and the new, as part of the Creative Europe Program.
“For audiences to hear Maria Callas perform was a once-in-a-lifetime experience as the beauty of her voice, and her ability to take the audience on a journey, was unmatched. Now thanks to the power of hologram technology and with the wonderful Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the European Union is proud to bring the incredible gift that was Maria Callas to Australia.”
“To encounter this ferociously dramatic soprano – even in diaphanous form – was to get a sense of why audiences worldwide revered her sometimes volcanic, sometimes vulnerable, always hyper-charismatic art,” wrote Howard Reich in the Chicago Tribune.
The Globe and Mail’s Marsha Lederman ‘thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle’ writing, “The audience gasped…there was Callas with that magnificent stage presence you cannot get a true sense of by simply listening to a recording, and that big acrobatic miracle of a voice that pushed the bounds of human possibility.”
‘Most Renowned And Influential Opera Singers Of The 20th Century’
More than four decades after her passing, Callas remains one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Leading a complex and extraordinary life, her contributions to music extended to stage design and fashion, making her one of the world’s original icons. Her musical and dramatic talents led to her being hailed as La Divina (“the Divine one”).
Born in Manhattan to Greek immigrant parents, Maria Anna Cecilia Sofia Kalogeropoulos began her musical education in Greece at age 13 and later established her career in Italy. Her repertoire ranged from classical opera seria to the bel canto operas of Donizetti, Bellini, and Rossini, and further to the works of Verdi and Puccini.
She passed away on September 16, 1977 in Paris, France.
When: December 7 2023 at 6:30pm
Where: 100 St Kilda Road, Southbank VIC
