Callas made her professional debut in February 1941, in the small role of Beatrice in Franz von Suppé's "Boccaccio". Soprano Galatea Amaxopoulou, who sang in the chorus, later recalled, "Even in rehearsal, Maria's fantastic performing ability had been obvious, and from then on, the others started trying ways of preventing her from appearing." Fellow singer Maria Alkeou similarly recalled that the established sopranos Nafsika Galanou and Anna (Zozó) Remmoundou "used to stand in the wings while was singing and make remarks about her, muttering, laughing, and point their fingers at her".