The Royal Opera House is set to honour the remarkable legacy of soprano Maria Callas with an exhibition named 'Callas at Covent Garden'.

Maria Callas - whose centenary we mark this year - was renowned for her lyrical and dramatical versatility as an opera singer and became one of the most influential artistic figures of the 20th century. Having made her debut at La Scala in 1950 in Aida, she rose as the theatre’s prima donna, collaborating with figures including Luchino Visconti, and achieving acclaim in repertoire including Verdi and Donizetti. Her art remains very much alive for opera lovers today through her recordings and her legacy.

Opening its doors to the public on Friday, July 14, the display will feature a collection of rare images and stories from Callas's time at the Royal Opera House, offering a fascinating glimpse into the career of the Covent Garden icon. Callas had first graced the stage of the Royal Opera House in 1952 when she played the title role in Bellini’s Norma. She returned to the venue to perform in six different productions over the subsequent decade, including Aida (1953), Il trovatore (1953), La traviata (1958) and Medea (1959). In 1965, her stage career came to an end as Tosca in a legendary production designed and created for her by Franco Zeffirelli.

Callas at Covent Garden will highlight milestones from this career through photographs and anecdotes as well as exploring her unique personal style, which continues to influence stage performers in the modern day, and is cited as 'iconic' by leading fashion house Vogue.

Running until November the exhibition, Callas at Covent Garden is free of charge and open from midday every day, Monday to Saturday. On Sunday’s the display will be open around performance times.

roh.org.uk