Maria Callas was born Sophie Cecilia Kalos on December 2, 1923, in New York City to Greek émigrés. Her father, a pharmacist, changed the family name from Kalogeropoulos to Callas. As a child, Maria studied piano and later moved to Athens with her mother and sister after her parents separated when she was 14.
The budding singer was accepted into the National Conservatoire, where she was taught singing by Maria Trivella. She performed her first recital within a year and won a prize for her stage debut in the Conservatoire's production of "Cavalleria Rusticana" in 1939. In 1941, she made her professional debut in "Boccaccio" with the Lyric Theatre Company, and later performed in "Tosca" and "Fidelio".
Impending war led her back to the United States in 1944, where she reclaimed her name as Maria Callas. She was offered a contract from the Met, but turned it down due to concerns about her weight and the roles offered to her.
Maria performed elsewhere before returning to Europe in the post-war years, where she met Giovanni Battista Meneghini, a wealthy industrialist and opera fan. They married in 1949, and he took control of her career. She reached her zenith at La Scala from 1951 to 1958, recording during that time. In 1956, she made her debut at the Met as "Norma", followed by performances of "Tosca" and "Lucia".
However, her temperamental outbursts and excessive demands began to rise, resulting in a number of dismissals and walkouts. After meeting Aristotle Onassis, her marriage ended, and she gave up the stage for the jet-set life with him. Despite experiencing vocal problems, she made an unforgettable comeback on stage in 1964-1965, touring with her personal favorites.
With her career over, she renounced her American citizenship and expected to marry Onassis. However, their relationship was stormy, and it eventually tapered off when Onassis married Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in 1968. Maria was devastated, and those around her say she never recovered.
In the following years, she filmed an unsuccessful production of Medea (1969) and set up masterclasses at Juilliard. She attempted a European tour of recitals but her voice completely failed her. Her last public performance was on November 11, 1975.
Riddled by sadness and despair, and now addicted to sleeping pills, Maria turned reclusive in her last year and died of a heart attack in 1977 at the age of 53. Despite a career that flourished less than two decades, Callas must be respected as one of the more important and recognizable opera legends.
