MariaCallasBiography

Maria Callas is born

Dec 2, 1923

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Maria Callas' Life - La Divina

Period: Dec 2, 1923 to Dec 16, 1977

Callas moves back to Greece with her mother, and shortly afterwards begins training with Elvira Heldago, National Conservatory

Sep 28, 1937

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Her auditions have not been going well until she is asked to audition for the General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera. He immediately offers her the leading roles in two productions of the 1946/7 season

Sep 28, 1940

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Callas makes her professional stage debut at the age of 17 in Boccaccio

Nov 1, 1940

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She is asked to perform in Tosca at the Athens Opera

Jan 1, 1942

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I Puritani is performed in Venice shortly after starring the Italian soprano Margherita Carosio as Elvira. One night, Maria begins sight-reading Elvira's music. Serafin's wife hears Maria. She is offered the role of Elvira as Carosio has fallen ill

Jan 19, 1949

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She marries Giovanni Battista Meneghini, a man almost 30 years older than Maria

Apr 21, 1949

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La Scala, the famous Milan theatre, finally surrenders to Maria Callas. She opens the 1950/1 season with I Vespri Siciliani and is greeted with thunderous applause and enthusiastic reviews

Dec 7, 1950

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Maria signs an exclusive recording contract with Walter Legge, director of EMI

Jul 1, 1952

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The day that establishes Maria's image as a tigress. She has just finished performing Madama Butterfly, when she is summoned to court - she is being sued by a former manager

Nov 17, 1955

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Maria finally makes her debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Norma in Bellini's Norma

Oct 28, 1956

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She is scheduled to sing in a gala performance of Norma at the Rome Opera House. The performance is to be attended by Italy's president, Giovanni Gronchi and his wife. Unfortunately, Maria has been seen drinking champagne and staying up very late. When Ma

Jan 2, 1958

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Maria announces that she will be parting from her husband and begins a love affair with Aristotle Onassis. He leaves her for Jackie Kennedy, JFK's widow

Sep 3, 1959

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Maria begins work on a film of Medea with Pier Paolo Pasolini. She hardly sings but still works very hard. So hard that one day she faints after running on a dry riverbed in the sun for a particular shot. Unfortunately for Maria, the film is not a success

Jun 1, 1969

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Maria's singing career comes to a quick halt. She is rushed to the hospital and it is announced that she had tried to commit suicide by taking an overdose of barbiturates

May 25, 1970

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She begins a comeback tour with Giuseppe di Stefano. For the first time in eight years, Maria Callas is singing in public. It is clear from the first concert in Hamburg that the tour will be an artistic disaster

Oct 25, 1973

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Onassis dies - this is one of the major factors behind Maria's death

Mar 15, 1975

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Maria Callas passes away in her Paris home. Her funeral is held four days later

Sep 16, 1977

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