Maria Callas Bust Permanently Installed at Rome Opera House, 67 Years After Her ‘Norma’ Walkout

The legendary soprano Maria Callas has been immortalized with a permanent bust inside the Rome Opera House. The artwork, created by Greek sculptor Nikos Floros and made from bronze weighing seventy kilograms, honors Callas’s legacy. In January 1958, Callas famously left the stage mid-performance of “Norma” due to vocal issues, marking an abrupt end to her collaboration with the opera house. Last December, the Greek Embassy in Rome collaborated with the Opera House to host a tribute evening featuring soprano Myrto Papathanasiou and pianist Giannis Tsanakaliotis, symbolizing reconciliation after decades. The installation of Floros’s sculpture within a hall dedicated to Maria Kalogeropoulou further cements Callas’s enduring impact. During the unveiling ceremony, Greece’s Ambassador to Italy, Eleni Sourani, and Rome Opera Director Francesco Gabrone highlighted the sculpture as a living cultural bridge between Greece and Italy while praising the artist for his dedication to preserving Callas’s memory.