Dimitris Pyromallis, who spent decades assembling one of the world’s most extensive collections devoted to soprano Maria Callas, has died at the age of 68.
Pyromallis, born in 1958, first encountered Callas by chance on the island of Zakynthos when he was four years old. The meeting affected him so deeply that from the age of twenty he dedicated his life to collecting material related to her art.
The collection he built comprises around 4,000 vinyl records, 6,000 CDs, hundreds of books, newspaper cuttings, periodicals, thousands of photographs, autographs, handwritten documents, stamps bearing Callas’s image from various countries, medals dedicated to her, and personal belongings.
In 2023 Pyromallis donated the entire collection to the archive of the Greek National Opera, which marked the gift by staging an exhibition titled UNBOXING CALLAS: An Archival Exploration of the Pyromallis Collection and the GNO Archive.
In 2024, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou honoured Pyromallis with the Gold Cross of the Order of the Phoenix for the donation.
Artistic Director Giorgos Koumedakis, the board and staff of the Greek National Opera expressed their deep sorrow and extended sincere condolences to his family and loved ones.
