(Credit: Tom Volf)

Joyce El-Khoury is set to make her role debut as Bellini’s “Norma” on August 28 in Athens, Greece.

The production by Tom Volf will be under the auspices of the Paris-based Maria Callas Foundation, which was co-founded in 2017 by her close friends as well as Tom Volf and is the largest international organization aiming to protect and promote the legacy of Maria Callas.

In a statement, El-Khoury said, “This is a dream come true. I have always hoped that the opportunity to sing the iconic role of Norma would arise in my career and I feel so very fortunate that it has come in honor of Maria Callas’s Centennial at the historic Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens, Greece. I am so looking forward to debuting Norma alongside a wonderful cast and artistic team including conductor Eugene Kohn and director Tom Volf who has become the most important collector and expert on the work of Maria Callas with his award-winning documentary ‘Maria by Callas.'”

El-Khoury will be joined by Greek tenor Mario Frangoulis, American mezzo-soprano Theresa Carlomagno, bass Sava Vemić, and tenor Alexander Marev. The production will be conducted by American conductor Eugene Kohn, who was chosen by Maria Callas to be her accompanist on the piano during her Masterclasses at the Juilliard School of New York in 1971.

The opera will also be performed on August 30 at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.