Maria Callas’ 100th Birth Anniversary Enters UNESCO’s List

Maria Callas as Norma in Epidaurus. Photo source: Ministry of Culture.

The Greek Culture Ministry recently announced that Maria Callas’ centennial birth anniversary will be included on UNESCO’s celebratory list of anniversaries for 2023.

Since 1956, UNESCO participates in the commemorations of historic events and in the anniversaries of eminent personalities celebrated by its member states to give them worldwide significance.

The anniversaries must concern personalities of genuinely universal stature, nominated posthumously only.

Moreover, these personalities must be indisputably known outside the borders of their own country, in order to reflect the ideals, values, cultural diversity and universality of the organization.

The official inclusion of Maria Callas’ birth anniversary follows Greece’s 2020 proposal to UNESCO and is supported by Italy and France.

“Maria Callas was a soprano who is today seen as one of the most remarkable opera singers of the 20th century. She was named “La Divina” for her great musical talent, and spent most of her life  between Greece, the United States of America and Italy,” Greece’s application document to UNESCO says.

The application adds that “Leonard Bernstein even called her ‘the Bible of Opera’ and the ‘Opera News’ wrote: “Nearly thirty years after her death, (…) she is still one of classical music’s best-selling vocalists”.”

Commenting on Maria Callas’ legacy, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said that the soprano’s “contribution to the opera world was revolutionary, not just because of her vocal perfection, but because her performative precision and passion made her recitals historical”.

Maria Callas. Photo source: Ministry of Culture.

The celebratory program of events honoring the famed Greek soprano will be organized by the Culture Ministry in collaboration with the UNESCO National Committee and the Permanent Delegation of Greece to UNESCO.

A list of ministerial supervised bodies such as the Greek National Opera, the State Orchestra of Athens, the Athens Concert Hall, the Athens Festival, the Athens Conservatory, the Thessaloniki Concert Hall, the State Orchestra of Thessaloniki, the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki, the Thessaloniki Film Festival and MOMus, will participate in the program.

The celebration will include performances, opera galas, exhibitions, tributes, publications, and educational programs, which will soon be announced in detail.

Maria Callas was born December 2, 1923.