Maria Callas | A Concert in Hologram

7 DECEMBER 2023

HAMER HALL | MELBOURNE ARTS CENTRE

Welcome Over six decades the partnership and ties between Australia and the EU have been solid, with a shared goal for prosperity and values uniting our vision and always bringing us together. Australia and Europe share a joint history – from those Australian soldiers who fought on European soil in WW1 and WW2 to the Europeans who left for Australia.

It’s the deep cultural ties that bind the EU and Australia which enable us to act together in trade, development, economic partnerships, security, fight against climate change, the promotion of human rights and democracy globally. It is also culture that cements the prospect of deeper cooperation.

The EU’s commitment to promoting culture is evident in this latest endeavour: “Maria Callas: A Concert in Hologram”, which coincides with Callas’ 100th anniversary. This is a two-fold gift: bringing Maria Callas to Australia, a country she never

toured in her lifetime, and giving the opportunity to Australia to celebrate Callas’s timeless appeal and voice thanks to a unique combination of technology, talent and art.

The EU and Australia are leading in these challenging times. While the values underpinning our societies are being challenged, culture is essential to respect and understanding diversities worldwide.

Coming together in the name of culture affirms our shared principles, and proves that unity in diversity can have a place in the world, making the EU and Australia a vehicle for global peace and prosperity.

Gabriele Visentin EU Ambassador to Australia

Tonight, we not only celebrate the timeless artistry of Maria Callas— joined by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Daniel Schlosberg—but to also appreciate the collaborative spirit that has made this unique experience possible.

In an age where innovation is paramount, the fusion of orchestral music and cutting-edge holographic technology exemplifies the beauty of collaboration. This project stands as a testament to the importance of embracing new technologies in the world of performing arts, and by doing so, we not only honour the legacy of iconic artists such as Maria Callas, but also offer audiences a chance to engage with orchestral music in fresh and immersive ways.

We extend our thanks to all who have played a pivotal role in bringing this event to life.

This collaboration showcases technological innovation, while also celebrating and strengthening

the enduring cultural ties between Australia and the European Union, with projects like these becoming vital agents of cultural diplomacy, fostering mutual understanding and appreciation across diverse cultures. As we unite in the universal language of music, this concert embodies our shared heritage and values, contributing to a rich tapestry of international collaboration and artistic expression.

As we come together in Hamer Hall, let us celebrate the power of global collaboration, the marriage of tradition and technology, and the enduring magic of Maria Callas’ artistry.

Sophie Galaise Managing Director, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

Programme

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CELEBRATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF MARIA CALLAS

Duration: 75 min, no interval Our musical Acknowledgment of Country, Long Time Living Here by Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO, will be performed at these concerts.

In consideration of your fellow patrons, the MSO thanks you for silencing and dimming the light on your phone.

Maria Callas Maria Callas is recognised as the foremost Opera icon of the 20th Century. Enthusiasts of Callas still affectionately refer to her as La Divina, and she truly held sway on the operatic stage, much like a goddess.

Callas was born on December 2, 1923 in New York City. The daughter of a Brooklyn Greek-American chemist called Kalogeropoulos. Callas began singing lessons at the age of eight.

She moved to Greece with her mother after her parents divorced when she was 13. A year later she pursued her formal training, initially at the National Conservatory under the tutelage of Maria Trivella and later on at the Athens Conservatory with famed Spaniard coloratura Elvira de Hidalgo, making her official debut at the Athens Royal Opera in 1941 at the age of 18.

But it wasn’t until 1950 that she reached La Scala in Milan – a career move that spawned a superstar – where widespread acclaim for her powerful performances and dramatic stage presence hit fever pitch.

Callas played a pivotal role in reviving interest in the bel canto repertoire.

Long before her fame had picked up, in the mid-1950s and early 60s, her voice was already painting a kaleidoscope of colour, depending on her mood and what she was singing about. It was her commitment to portraying characters with depth and authenticity that set a new standard for opera singers linking in an exquisite way acting with singing which made her a trailblazer, technically proficient and one of the greatest sopranos of all time.

Callas died at the early age of 53 on September 16, 1977. Her legacy in the arts has played out in the decades since her passing and her impact on opera and classical music remains as before profound.

Maria Callas rose from obscurity to worldwide recognition and went on to revolutionise opera through her unique and moving aria interpretations, leaving a lasting influence on the world of arts and our relationship with it.

Daniel Schlosberg

Brooklyn-based composer, pianist, and conductor Daniel Schlosberg’s music has been performed by the Dover Quartet, Minnesota Orchestra, Choir of Trinity Wall Street, Nashville and Albany Symphonies, at Carnegie Hall, (le) poisson rouge, Royal Albert Hall, Beijing Modern Music Festival, and David Lynch’s Festival of Disruption, and has also been featured in the New York Times and WNYC’s Soundcheck. Daniel has received the Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and two ASCAP Morton Gould Awards. He is the Music Director of Heartbeat Opera in New York City for which his radical re-orchestrations of classic operas have been praised as “flat-out brilliant” (New York Times) and “ingenious” (Wall Street Journal). Daniel has composed for and music directed at the Soho

Repertory Theater (for which his original score for Montag received a 2023 Drama Desk nomination), Public Theater, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Baryshnikov Arts Center, and Playwrights Horizons. Current projects include The Extinctionist, a new opera for Heartbeat Opera (premiering spring ‘24); music direction for Anthony Roth Costanzo and Justin Vivian Bond’s Only an Octave Apart at Wilton’s Music Hall in London (October ‘22), at the Spoleto Festival (June ‘23), and in Dublin (September ‘23); a new music-theatre piece for Little Island in NYC (premiering summer ‘24); composition and music direction for Jeremy O. Harris’s A Boy’s Company Presents; composition and music direction for Dmitry Krymov’s next original play (premiering fall ‘24); and music direction and arrangements for Fake Friends’ The Last Bimbo of the Apocalypse (premiering fall ‘24).

In addition to collaborations with Angel Blue, the Imani Winds, Ariana DeBose, Tony Kushner, and Ben Stiller, he was pianist for Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, and a featured soloist in Only an Octave Apart with the New York Philharmonic and on NPR’s Tiny Desk. www.danschlosberg.com

MSO Musicians playing tonight FIRST VIOLINS

VIOLAS

CLARINET

Assistant Principal Margaret Billson and the late Ted Billson#

Molly Collier-O’Boyle*

Principal

Peter Edwards

Sarah Curro

Dr Harry Imber#

Peter Fellin

Katharine Brockman Ceridwen Davies*

CELLOS

Elina Faskhi

Lorraine Hook

Assistant Principal Di Jameson and Frank Mercurio#

David Horowicz#

Sarah Morse

Anne-Marie Johnson Kirstin Kenny

Rebecca Proietto

Natalie Mavridis*

Caleb Wong

SECOND VIOLINS

DOUBLE BASSES

Associate Principal

Siyuan Vivian Qu*

Robert Macindoe Mary Allison

Isin Cakmakçioglu Isy Wasserman Patrick Wong Roger Young

Shane Buggle and Rosie Callanan#

Rohan Dasika

David Thomas

BASSOON

Jack Schiller

Principal Dr Harry Imber#

HORNS

Nicolas Fleury

Principal Margaret Jackson AC#

Rachel Shaw

Gary McPherson#

PERCUSSION

Matthew Brennan* Guest Principal

FLUTE/PICCOLO

HARP

Guest Principal

Principal

Taryn Clarke*

Yinuo Mu

OBOE/COR ANGLAIS

Emmanuel Cassimatis* Guest Principal

* Denotes Guest Musician # Position supported by

BASE BASE Xperiential’s productions harness the magic of mixed-media, holographic and live entertainment to create concerts and theatre experiences for global audiences. BASE has developed a library of compelling content including holographic productions of Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly, Maria Callas, and Whitney Houston, as well as Dinosaur Discoveries now playing at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. This content is brought to life and presented in a wide range of venues, from casinos and cruise ships to theme parks and museums. BASE Xperiential was founded by leading entertainment industry veteran Brian Becker.

Presented by the European Union together with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

SCAN HERE to know more about Maria Callas and EU-Australia Relations and to provide feedback on the performance

Producer

Creative Director

General Management

BASE XPERIENTIAL

STEPHEN WADSWORTH

ALCHEMY PRODUCTION GROUP

Technical Direction

Projection Specialist

Video Consultation

RICK FANTL

ISRAEL CASANOVA - RUIZ

DIGITAL FLODUR

Orchestrations and Musical Supervision DANIEL SCHLOSBERG Personality rights of MARIA CALLAS

are used with permission of the Maria Callas Estate.

@EUinAUS @MelbourneSymphonyOrchestra @EUAustralia @MelbourneSymphony