Reception at the Consulate General of Greece in New York with Monica Bellucci (25/1/2023) honoring the "Year of Maria Callas"

The Consulate General of Greece in New York, honoring the "Year of Maria Callas" to celebrate the 100th anniversary of her birth, welcomed the glamorous star of world cinema, Monica Bellucci, at a reception at the consular residence on January 25th, on the occasion of the performance "Maria Callas: Letters and Memoirs"  on January 27th, at the famous Beacon Theater on Broadway. The Italian star was accompanied by the show's director, Tom Wolff. Mr. Ioannis Houndis, director of the "Maria Callas" Foundation, was also invited.

The Consul General of Greece in New York, Mr. Dinos Constantinou, warmly thanked Monica Bellucci for her presence, pointing out the quality of the performance and the way it captures the legendary Maria Callas. Echoing the words of an expert critic, he said that "the incredibly brilliant actress Monica Bellucci incarnates the incredibly brilliant soprano Maria Callas".

Mr. Konstantinou pointed out that Maria Callas was baptized in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, just five blocks from the Consulate building, maintaining a special relationship with the Greek diaspora. Behind the face showed to the public - said Mr. Konstantinou - Maria Callas was a fragile and very sensitive personality with a stormy personal life. Concluding, Mr. Constantinou pointed out that "2023 is the year of Maria Callas and that is what we must focus on, because she was a fantastic personality and a great soprano, the best soprano of all time".

Afterwards, the director Tom Volf spoke expressing his joy for his presence at the Greek Consulate, to honor a Greek American, such as Maria Callas. "It's been 45 years since her death and even today she inspires people all over the world, just as she inspired us," the French director emphasized. "It is from here, from New York, that my journey with Maria Callas began, 10 years ago, and during this journey, a film, a book, exhibitions and finally this show were created."

For her part, Monica Bellucci referred to the interest on Maria Callas' personality, but also the way in which she rose to the top and left her mark, which remains indelible even today. "What touched me most about Maria Callas was this duality between the diva and a woman with a simple heart. A woman who died of grief and a broken heart. We're here for her," Bellucci said.

Mr. Ioannis Houndis, speaking on behalf of the "Maria Callas" Foundation, emphasized that the Foundation would like to promote this relationship of Maria Callas with New York. The aim of the Foundation - said Mr. Houndis - is to preserve and promote the life and work of Callas.

"We have the largest collection of her personal items, recordings, letters, photographs. So far, we have had two exhibitions in Monaco and Paris and of course this year is important for us. The culmination will be the creation of the "Maria Callas" Museum in Paris, and at the same time a mobile exhibition for Europe will operate", emphasized Mr. Houndis.

Before the speeches, the trailer of the performance with Monica Bellucci, prepared by the director, was shown on a big screen. The event was attended by well-known Greek Americans and expatriates from the world of letters and arts, business, and journalism. Present were well-known artists such as Marios Fragoulis, George Perris, the composer and performer Periklis Kanaris and the tenor Nektarios Antoniou.

Many articles were published about the reception by Greek American and Greek media.

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