Royal Opera House Celebrates Maria Callas Centenary With Free Exhibition

The Royal Opera House has announced an exclusive display celebrating the career of soprano Maria Callas. Callas first performed at the Royal Opera House in 1952 in the title role of Bellini’s Norma and enjoyed great success in London, returning to perform in Covent Garden in six productions over a decade. Callas at Covent Garden showcases photographs and stories from her career-defining performances at the Royal Opera House, celebrating the life and talent of a beloved Covent Garden icon.

Featuring photographs of Callas in her Royal Opera debut, along with images of her performances in La traviata and Tosca, this display showcases the scope of roles that Callas undertook in her career at the Royal Opera House. It also gives an insight into her unique personal style, a look so striking that it has influenced modern stars of the stage, with her impactful style still cited as iconic by Vogue.

Callas enjoyed great popularity with the British public and performed at the Royal Opera House many times, taking on the lead roles in Aida (1953), Il trovatore (1953), La traviata (1958) and Medea (1959). She ended her stage career as Tosca in a legendary production designed and mounted for her by Franco Zeffirelli in 1965.

Callas at Covent Garden is free to view and open from midday every day, Monday to Saturday, and around performance times on Sunday.