“Maria Callas: In Memoriam” at Cairo Opera House

02 December 2023

The Cairo Opera House, under the supervision of Dr. Khaled Dagher, and the Greek Embassy in Cairo jointly celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of the internationally renowned diva Maria Callas at the Main Hall on Monday, 4 December at 8 p.m. The concert features the Cairo Opera Orchestra conducted by Maestro Nayer Nagui and vocal performances by Tahia Shams El-Din, Mona Rafla, Dalia Farouk, Dina Iskander, and Greek singer Sonia Theodoridou.

The concert program includes excerpts from classic operas that marked Maria Callas’s illustrious career such as: Norma, Turandot, and Tosca by Puccini; Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni; and Faust by Gounod.

Born in 1923, Maria Callas is one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Her first vocal training was with Maria Trivella at the Greek National Conservatoire. She later studied at the Athens Conservatoire under soprano Elvira de Hidalgo. Callas gained international acclaim with her opera debut at prestigious La Scala in Milan in 1950, as Aida. She received numerous awards including: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Hollywood Walk of Fame Star, and the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.