Join Maryann with Natchez Festival of Music -

Born in 1923, Maria Callas was an American-born, Greek soprano who was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. She was known for her bel canto technique, wide-ranging voice, and dramatic interpretations. Her repertoire included the operas of Donizetti, Bellini, Rossini, Verdi, Puccini, and more. Her personal life was as full of drama as the operas in which she sang, but her musical and artistic achievements were so profound that in 2006, Opera News said, “Nearly thirty years after her death, she’s still the definition of the diva as artist—and still one of classical music’s best-selling vocalists.”  She was known simply as La Divina (“the Divine one”).