Dimitris Pyromallis, who built one of the most extensive collections of Maria Callas memorabilia in the world and donated it to Greece’s National Opera, has died at the age of 68.
According to a statement from the National Lyric Stage, the collection includes approximately 4,000 vinyl records, 6,000 CDs, hundreds of books, newspaper clippings, periodicals, thousands of photographs, autographs, handwritten documents, postage stamps bearing Callas’s likeness from various countries, medals dedicated to the soprano, and personal items belonging to her.
Pyromallis was born in 1958. At the age of four he had a chance encounter with Callas on the island of Zakynthos, an event that affected him so profoundly that from the age of 20 he devoted his life to collecting materials related to her art.
The National Lyric Stage honoured the donation in 2023, during the Maria Callas centenary year, with an exhibition titled UNBOXING CALLAS: An Archival Exploration of the Pyromallis Collection and the NLS Archive.
In 2024, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou awarded Pyromallis the Gold Cross of the Order of the Phoenix for his donation.
Artistic director Giorgos Koumendakis, along with the management and staff of the National Lyric Stage, expressed deep sorrow in the statement and offered their sincere condolences to his family and loved ones.
