A hundred years before I came to New York, a Greek couple crossed the Atlantic and settled in the Big Apple in search of a better future. The pronunciation of the surname Kalogerópulos was a bit complicated for Americans, so they decided to simplify it to a more accessible version. From then on they would be the Callas family. In fact, in this family, one of the most famous Greek women of the 20th century was born in the city of skyscrapers. Maria Callas. Sacred. The most famous soprano of all time. This brilliant student of the Spanish singing teacher Elvira de Hidalgo, with her metallic voice and absolute expressiveness, worked tirelessly, interpreting masterfully in the best theaters in Italy, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Germany and the United States. more complex bel canto roles. Everyone wanted to hear about the Greek-American diva. So in 1958, at the peak of his career and when Milan’s La Scala was at capacity that night, the theater refused to replace him, informing him that he could not sing because he was ill. The phrase was very clear: “Nessuno può sostiture la Callas” (“no one can replace Callas”). To the disappointment of the audience that night, María was unable to sing and had to quickly escape from there.
