Press & Media

Press kit — articles & clippings

Tom Volf's work - films, theatre, opera, exhibitions, books - has received a rich critical reception in the French and international press. Here is an overview of the main mentions, organized by project.

Maria by Callas — documentary film (2017)

The most elegant music documentary of the decade.
The Guardian

A cinematic masterpiece.
La Repubblica

A moving self-portrait of the greatest voice of the 20th century^e century.
Le Figaro

A passionate and generous defense of an icon.
Variety

Illuminating, at times enthralling effect.
The New York Times

An excellent introduction to Callas’s artistry.
The New York Times — Ben Kenigsberg, 1^er November 2018

To see Callas perform is to understand the power she held.
Vogue — Alessandra Codinha, October 2, 2018

An enchanting story.
Vanity Fair

Tom Volf’s Maria by Callas is the first film to tell the life story of the legendary Greek/American opera singer completely in her own words.
Sony Pictures Classics

Director and author Tom Volf has created a film that is as captivating as it is moving.
CNews

Tom Volf creates a sublime portrait.
France Inter

Tom Volf did not want to present his reading of the extraordinary destiny of the singer but preferred to step aside, yielding the floor to her. The title Maria by Callas does not lie.
La Croix

A luxurious compilation to which its author puts his little trademark.
L’Obs — Xavier Leherpeur

She is a diva who tells her story through rare archives, unpublished letters... her own words.
ELLE — Thomas Jean, December 8, 2017

A unique approach to the life of the Callas.
Le Parisien — Pierre Vavasseur, December 13, 2017

Over the almost two hours that lasts Maria by Callas, almost half of the film is made up of documents never seen or heard before.
Le Film Français — Sarah Drouhaud, November 24, 2017

Rich in unpublished archives, the film retraces the extraordinary destiny of the singer.
Marianne — Olivier De Bruyn, December 15, 2017

Montage of exceptional and little-seen archives which depict public life, applauded life, life thrown out to pasture, life locked into an exceptional duty.
L’Express — Eric Libiot, “Le Choix Ciné”

Maria by Callas achieves the feat of dealing head-on with the woman, Sophia Cecelia Kalos, and the artist, La Callas.
Franceinfo Culture — Jacky Bornet

Revealing the hidden face of a goddess whose divine voice ultimately came from her deep humanity.
L'Humanité — Stéphane Aubouard

By magic, we are caught up.
La Voix du Nord — Philippe Lagouche

A documentary that gives voice to the diva.
Sud Ouest (4/5)

A must for fans and for those who wish to discover it.
Studio Ciné Live — Stéphanie Belpêche (4/5)

A sensitive documentary.
Le Figaro — Ariane Bavelier (4/5)

The young director manages to paint an intimate and moving portrait of a global icon.
Paris Match

Academic references

The film is the result of the filmmaker’s own sensitivity, thoughts, and decisions, from the choice of materials to the narrative thread, up to the editing process. His film will always be a “Maria by Callas by Tom Volf”.
João Pedro Cachopo — Sound Stage Screen, Bloomsbury Academic, 2022

Conceived and executed by Tom Volf, the Maria by Callas project includes an exhibition, a documentary, and three books.
João Pedro Cachopo — Revista Dramaturgias n°22, 2023

Fabio Dal Corobbo — Tesi di Laurea Magistrale, universities of Padua and Ca’ Foscari of Venice: inter-university master's thesis using Tom Volf's film as the main object of analysis to treat the legacy of Maria Callas.

Maria Callas: Letters & Memoirs — theatre (creation 2019, Bouffes Parisiens — Beacon Theater NY 2023 — international tour)

I put myself at their service with these letters.
Monica Bellucci

The play is the brainchild of Tom Volf, the man whose Callas devotion has yielded the wonderful Maria by Callas documentary.
OperaWire — David Salazar, January 31, 2023 (Beacon Theater, NY)

Performed in three different languages and 10 different countries, taking the stage at iconic venues like Paris’ Théâtre Marigny and New York’s Beacon Theater.
Women’s Wear Daily — Hannah Malach, June 18, 2024

Tom Volf's minimalist direction and Monica Bellucci's very sober performance make Maria Callas' inner pain accurately felt.
Theatreonline — spectator review, March 2020 (Bouffes Parisiens)

The actress convinces the singer of Tom Volf.
La Repubblica — Rodolfo Di Giammarco, August 28, 2020

Callas by Bellucci, another shot from Tom Volf.
Forum Opéra

Maria Callas: Letters & Memoirs — book (Albin Michel, 2019)

Thanks to this exceptional work, which brings together more than 350 unpublished letters and her unfinished memoirs, Maria Callas' wish has finally become a reality. The moving and fascinating self-portrait of the greatest voice of the 20th^e century.
Albin Michel — presentation of the work

A disturbing and essential testimony for any lover of the legendary soprano.
ResMusica — Jacques Schmitt, December 3, 2019

The woman's face is outlined in filigree, better than in all the works we have read so far.
Forum Opéra

Norma — staged (Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Athens, 2023)

Making my Norma debut in Greece, of all possible places in the world, is a dream come true.
Joyce El-Khoury

A triumphant debut.
ConcertoNet

Véronique — documentary film (2026)

A very beautiful documentary directed by Tom Volf.
Le Figaro — Olivier Nuc, March 6, 2026

A musical diary.
Le Monde — Bruno Lesprit, April 3, 2026

Callas Confidential — book (2017)

A fascinating and extremely moving dive into the intimacy of the voice of the century.
Librairie Mollat

Media appearances & interviews

Selection of TV, radio, podcast and YouTube interviews — organized by project. Tom Volf Official YouTube Channel →

Maria by Callas — film & exhibition (2017)

Letters & Memoirs — theatre & book (Bellucci, 2019 →)

Norma — Athens, Odeon of Herodes Atticus (2023)

Web ClassiqueNews — Interview with Tom Volf, president of the Maria Callas Fund

Callas — Paris, 1958 (restored concert, 2023)

Véronique — Véronique Sanson (2026)

Integrated YouTube playlist

See the playlist on YouTube →