Soprano, born in New York City, New York, USA. Callas studied voice in Athens and made her operatic debut there in 1938. Her European career blossomed in the late 1940s; from then until her retirement from the stage in 1965, she was celebrated less for a glorious voice than for her electrifying dramatic gifts--as seen in roles such as Medea and Norma--and her equally dramatic temperament and romantic life, including a long liaison with Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.