The embassy of Greece in Italy, the Municipality of Rome and the Opera of the Italian capital, celebrated the centenary of the birth of Maria Callas, with a special recital by the tenor Myrtos Papathanasiou.

The event was organized by our embassy in “Costanci” theater of the Rome Operawhich was packed, with over 1,600 spectators.

It was characterized as a symbolic “reconciliation” of our leading soprano, with the specific theater where a “traumatic event” had taken place: On January 2, 1958, “Divina” had left the Opera of the Eternal City, after the end of the first act of Norma, due to vocal problems.

This move made headlines in all international media.

Myrto Papathanasiou and the pianist Yiannis Tsanakaliotis were adored by the audience of Rome, with a unique interpretation and performance and arias such as Vissi d’arte and Sì, mi chiamano Mimì.

Four well-known names in Greek politics watched the recital from the theater galleries: the former prime ministers George Papandreou and Alexis Tsipras and the former ministers Dora Bakoyannis and Euripides Stylianideswho were in Rome for a meeting of the committee to monitor the commitments of the member states of the Council of Europe.

At the same time, last night, the passage which connects the theater with the adjacent Quirinale Hotel, where our legendary treble speaker had stayed, was named “Maria Callas”, with placement special plate by the manager of the theater, Francesco Jabrone, the Greek ambassador, Eleni Sourani, and the manager of the Municipality of Rome for cultural issues, Miguel Gottor.