Maria Callas

Born Maria Anna Sofia Cecilia Kalogeropoulos to Greek parents in New York City, she moved to Athens, Greece at age 13.

She reached her glory as one of the most famous opera singers in history, a legendary soprano, an unrepeated voice.

Her debut was in 1939 as Santuzza, in Cavalleria Rusticana. A few years later, in 1947 she made another debut, this time in Italy and at Arena of Verona[?], with maestro[?] Tullio Serafin[?] as the director of La Gioconda[?]. Not a great success, indeed, but some opera-lovers started to follow her voice with great attention. Among them Meneghini, whom she would have married, together a husband and a manager who devoted his life to let her achieve her fame.

In the later years of her life she also received much publicity for her nine year love affair with Greek shipping magnate, Aristotle Onassis.

Maria Callas died on September 16, 1977. Cremated, her ashes were buried in the Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris, France. After being stolen and later recovered, her ashes were scattered into the Aegean Sea, off the coast of Greece.

Maria Callas has a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1680 Vine Street.

External link

• Divina, the official website (http://www.callas.it/)