Great Performances Celebrates The Magic Of Maria Callas & Vladimir Horowitz

This winter, Great Performances shines a spotlight on international music icons Maria Callas and Vladimir Horwitz with two concert documentaries exploring the stories behind the most remarkable performances of their lives. Great Performances: The Magic of Callas Premieres Friday, January 15, 2021 at 10 p.m. on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/gperf and the PBS Video app.

Documenting the soprano's triumphant return to the stage in "Tosca" at London's Royal Opera House, January 21, 1964, after her career was said to be over, the film features footage from Callas' groundbreaking turn as Tosca along with original interviews with opera luminaries Thomas Hampson, Kristine Opolais and Rolando Villazón, singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright and Royal Opera House music director Antonio Pappano.

Great Performances: The Magic of Horowitz Premieres Friday, January 22, 2021 at 10 p.m. on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/gperf and the PBS Video app.

Delving into the story of world-renowned pianist Vladimir Horowitz at his historic 1986 Moscow concert, the documentary weaves together concert footage, including intimate close-ups of the pianist's agile hands interspersed with the emotional audience reactions, historical context and original interviews with Horowitz' former manager Peter Gelb (Metropolitan Opera) as well as contemporary piano virtuosos Martha Argerich and Daniil Trifonov.

Also coming up, Great Performances - From Vienna: The New Year's Celebration 2021 premieres Friday, January 1, 2021 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) and streaming the following day on pbs.org/gperf and the PBS Video app.

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