Tradition and technology will create operatic alchemy on Thursday, December 7, when the European Union (EU) presents Maria Callas – one of the greatest sopranos that ever lived – on the Hamer Hall stage for an extraordinary performance with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO).
Marking 100 years since the birth of the legendary diva, Maria Callas: A Concert in Hologram, seamlessly melds state-of-the-art 3D hologram technology and digitally remastered recordings of the legendary artist’s most loved arias.
As Callas sings works from Bellini, Bizet, Verdi and Gounod, New York conductor, composer and pianist Daniel Schlosberg will lead the MSO in this unmissable one-night-only concert experience.
EU Ambassador Gabriele Visentin says: “We see this as part of a celebration of the deep and enduring ties between the European Union and Australia. Culturally both regions share a deep appreciation for the arts and so this event is a chance for us to highlight the EU-Australia friendship through music and cutting-edge innovation, blending the old and the new, as part of the Creative Europe Program.”
“For audiences to hear Maria Callas perform was a once in a lifetime experience as the beauty of her voice, and her ability to take the audience on a journey, was unmatched. Now thanks to the power of hologram technology and with the wonderful Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the European Union is proud to bring the incredible gift that was Maria Callas to Australia.”
Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune wrote: “to encounter this ferociously dramatic soprano – even in diaphanous form – was to get a sense of why audiences worldwide revered her sometimes volcanic, sometimes vulnerable, always hyper-charismatic art.”
The Globe & Canada’s Marsha Lederman ‘thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle,’ writing: “The audience gasped… there was Callas with that magnificent stage presence you cannot get a true sense of by simply listening to a recording, and that big acrobatic miracle of a voice that pushed the bounds of human possibility.”
More than four decades after her passing, Callas remains one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Leading a complex and extraordinary life, her contributions to music extended to stage design and fashion, making her one of the world’s original icons. Her musical and dramatic talents led to her being hailed as La Divina (“the Divine one”).
Born in Manhattan to Greek immigrant parents, Maria Anna Cecilia Sofia Kalogeropoulos began her musical education in Greece at age 13 and later established her career in Italy. Her repertoire ranged from classical opera seria to the bel canto operas of Donizetti, Bellini, and Rossini, and further to the works of Verdi and Puccini.
Maria Callas hologram technology is available by special arrangement with BASE Xperiential and the Maria Callas Estate.
Maria Callas: A Concert In Hologram
- Date: 6.30pm, Thursday 7 December.
- Venue: Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne.
- Tickets: on sale 10am, Tuesday 2 November, visit mso.com.au
Presented by the European Union, celebrating EU-Australia Cultural Relations.
