In celebration of the centenary of her birth on December 2^nd, 1923, the Paris Opera pays tribute to Maria Callas. A compelling singer and a deeply moving tragedienne, Maria Callas transformed the art of operatic acting and singing.

Maria Callas was the most celebrated operatic artist of the 20^th century. Endowed with extraordinary vocal abilities and a keen sense of tragedy, she remains the archetypal singer whose fame extends beyond the realm of opera.

Collaborator, friend and muse of Luchino Visconti and Pier Paolo Pasolini, who sublimated her on stage and screen, Callas did not escape the media coverage of her private life often reduced to her unhappy relationship with the Greek shipowner Aristotle Onassis. She died in Paris in 1977, more than ten years after her last theatrical performance.

Maria Callas performed three times on the stage of the Palais Garnier: at a Legion d’Honneur gala in 1958, in Norma in 1964 under the baton of Georges Prêtre, and in Franco Zeffirelli’s famous production of Tosca.

She also had a special bond with Paris, where she lived and died on 16 September 1977. 

Recordings with the Paris Opera Orchestra

A unique production at the crossroads of opera and performance art, 7 Deaths of Maria Callas by Marina Abramović (2021) features arias from roles performed by the legendary soprano, with allusions to the dying heroines sacrificed on stage by 19^th century composers.

aria invites you to discover this extraordinary woman who revolutionised operatic art in the last century.