Hayley Westenra facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hayley Westenra
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Westenra in 2006
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Hayley Dee Westenra
10 April 1987 Christchurch, New Zealand
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| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 1998–present |
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Hayley Dee Westenra (born 10 April 1987) is a talented singer from New Zealand. She is known for her beautiful voice, which blends classical music with pop styles. Her first album released around the world, Pure, became number one on the UK classical music charts in 2003. It sold over two million copies worldwide, making it one of the fastest-selling albums in New Zealand's history.
Hayley is also one of the youngest UNICEF Ambassadors. This means she helps children around the world. She has sung in many different languages, including English, Māori, Irish, Welsh, Spanish, Italian, German, French, and Japanese.
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Hayley Westenra's Early Life
Hayley Westenra was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 10 April 1987. Her parents are Gerald and Jill Westenra. Her grandmother, Shirley Ireland, was also a singer, and her grandfather played the piano. Hayley has family roots from Ireland, the Netherlands, and England.
She started performing at just six years old in a Christmas play at her school. A teacher noticed her perfect singing voice and encouraged her to learn music. Soon, Hayley learned to read music and play the violin, piano, guitar, and recorder. She also took singing lessons and loved musical theatre. By age 11, she had performed on stage more than 40 times! She even played male characters sometimes. Hayley attended Cobham Intermediate School, where a building was later named after her.
Hayley Westenra's Music Career
Starting Her Music Journey (2000–2002)
When Hayley was 12, she went into a recording studio to make a demo album called Walking in the Air. She made 70 copies for friends and family, but soon made 1000 more! A journalist from Canterbury Television saw her and asked her to appear on TV. A concert promoter named Gray Bartlett saw the show and offered her a recording deal with Universal Records New Zealand.
With Universal Records, Hayley released her first album, Hayley Westenra, which featured songs from shows and light classical music. She also released My Gift to You, an album of Christmas songs. Because her albums were so successful, she was able to take lessons from the famous singer Malvina Major.
Worldwide Success with Pure (2003–2004)
Hayley became famous worldwide when she signed with Decca Records. She recorded Pure, an album with classical, pop, and traditional Māori songs. Pure quickly became the fastest-selling international debut album in the UK classical music charts. It sold over 19,000 copies in its first week and reached number one in the UK. So far, over two million copies of Pure have been sold. In New Zealand, Pure has sold so many copies that it is certified 12 times platinum. This makes Hayley the best-selling artist in her country's history.
In 2004, Hayley sang the end-title song for the Disney movie Mulan II. She also joined the Radio Disney music education tour for middle school students. Later that year, she sang "Bridal Ballad" for the movie The Merchant of Venice.
Hayley won "Highest Selling New Zealand Album" and "International Achievement Award" at the 2004 Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards. She also won two Japanese Grammies for her song "Amazing Grace" and her album Pure. Her version of "Amazing Grace" was used as the theme song for a popular Japanese TV show called Shiroi Kyotō.
In 2004, Hayley started a world tour, performing in New Zealand, Australia, Japan, the UK, and the US. She even performed for important leaders like Queen Elizabeth II and President George W. Bush. After her tour, she recorded a live DVD called Hayley Westenra: Live from New Zealand. A producer for a TV special about her said, "Her singing is so gorgeous, it's reminiscent of the great boy-soprano sound of Anglican church choirs."
New Albums and Celtic Woman (2005–2007)
In 2006, Hayley was named one of the ten outstanding young people in the world by the Junior Chamber International. She was the first New Zealander to receive this honor. In November 2006, she sang the national anthems of the UK and New Zealand at the dedication of the New Zealand War Memorial in London. Three of Hayley's great-uncles fought in World War II, and one was killed.
In August 2006, Hayley joined the group Celtic Woman. She is featured on their album Celtic Woman: A New Journey, which was released in January 2007 and quickly became a top album. She toured with the group in the United States in 2007, performing in many cities.
Hayley's third international album, Treasure, was released in the UK in February 2007. Hayley chose all the songs on this album herself. She said she didn't let her record company know what she was recording until the last minute! The album includes songs like "E Pari Ra" and "Danny Boy". Hayley helped write four of the songs. The US, Australia, and New Zealand version of the album was called Celtic Treasure. Hayley dedicated the album to her grandmother, Shirley Ireland, who taught her many old songs.
In 2007, Hayley's singing was also featured in the soundtracks for the movie Flood and the TV series Jekyll. She also had a "Treasure" concert tour in Japan.
Collaborations and New Music (2008–2010)
In 2008, Hayley sang on the Mike Oldfield album Music of the Spheres. She performed the song "On My Heart." She also recorded vocals for the CD Different Voice, which was composed by Debbie Wiseman. In November 2008, Hayley received the Variety Club Showbiz Awards 2008 Classical Performer of the Year award for helping sick and disadvantaged children.
In 2010, Hayley started working with the famous film composer Ennio Morricone on her album Paradiso. The album included new songs written by Morricone and some of his well-known movie music. Hayley recorded the album with Morricone's orchestra in Rome. She also performed a concert in Shanghai, China, during an East Asian tour.
Concerts and Special Events (2011–Present)
On Memorial Day in 2011, Hayley was invited to perform for the annual PBS special, the National Memorial Day Concert, in Washington, D.C. She sang "Pie Jesu" after a touching story about a woman whose father died in the Vietnam War.
On 23 October 2011, Hayley sang the New Zealand national anthem "God Defend New Zealand" at Eden Park in Auckland before the final of the 2011 Rugby World Cup. She also sang the traditional New Zealand song "Now Is the Hour" to close the event. Later that year, she was featured on André Rieu's album And the Waltz Goes On with the song "Dreaming of New Zealand."
To promote Paradiso, Hayley went on the Paradiso Homecoming Tour. In 2012, she performed concerts in Copenhagen and Dublin. In April 2013, Hayley toured the Far East, performing in Taiwan and Beijing. She also performed in Hong Kong in November and December 2013. In April 2014, Hayley performed at Classic FM Live in Royal Albert Hall in London.
Hayley Westenra's Notable Performances
Hayley has performed in many special concerts around the world.
- In 2003, she sang with opera stars José Carreras and Bryn Terfel at the Faenol Festival in Wales.
- In 2004, she performed with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra in Madison, Wisconsin.
- In 2005, she appeared on a TV show called Gotta Skate and performed with Andrea Bocelli. She also joined the Boston Pops Orchestra for their Christmas tour.
- In 2006, she performed with tenor Alfie Boe in Canterbury Cathedral.
- In 2007, she sang "Abide with Me" on the American Christian television program Hour of Power. She also performed songs from West Side Story at Woburn LIVE 2007.
- In 2008, Hayley sang at a tribute concert for lyricist Don Black in London. She also performed at the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, singing "River of Dreams" and a duet with Jonathan Ansell.
- In 2009, she performed "We'll Meet Again" at the Festival of Remembrance for Queen Elizabeth II and Vera Lynn. She also sang for British troops serving in Afghanistan.
- In 2010, she performed "For the Fallen" at the Festival of Remembrance.
- In 2011, Hayley was a guest performer on Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli's Asian concert tour. She also sang at the Royal Variety Performance for The Princess Royal.
- In 2012, she performed at the 2nd Beijing International Film Festival symphony concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. She was also featured on an album celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II and performed with David Foster on his Far East tour.
Hayley Westenra in Film, TV, and Video Games
Hayley has also appeared in other media. She had her first acting role on the US TV show American Dreams, where she played guitar and sang. She provided vocals for the music in the 2007 Wii game Endless Ocean. In 2011, Hayley was the voice for UK broadcaster ITV's coverage of the Rugby World Cup, singing her special version of "World in Union".
Hayley Westenra's Charity Work
Hayley is very active in helping charities around the world.
- In 2003, she performed for the Royal Variety Performance show for Queen Elizabeth II to help the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund.
- She is the second youngest UNICEF Ambassador. In 2005, Hayley visited Ghana to promote her project, "Bikes for Ghana." She helped raise money to buy bicycles for young girls so they could get to school.
- In 2006, a new type of rose was named the "Hayley Westenra Rose" to raise money for UNICEF. This rose won the 2010 Rose of the Year Award.
- She has also supported charities like Act Against Bullying, HemiHelp, and the Royal British Legion, selling poppies to help veterans.
- Hayley is an ambassador for Save the Children in Hong Kong and supports breast cancer awareness in New Zealand. She also helps the Women's Environmental Network and the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy, which helps children with disabilities.
- In 2009, she became a vice-president for the Dame Vera Lynn Trust, a charity for children with cerebral palsy. She also helped launch the Poppy Appeal for 2009 with Dame Vera Lynn.
- In 2011, after the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake in her hometown, Hayley sang the national anthem at a memorial service in London and "Amazing Grace" at a service in Christchurch. She also read a testimony at a memorial service in Westminster Abbey.
- During her Paradiso Homecoming Tour, Hayley raised awareness for her UNICEF work and the Christchurch Earthquake Relief fund.
- In 2012, she performed at a music festival in Wales to support charities like Cancer Research UK and Wales Air Ambulance. She was also featured on the Starship Christmas Album to support Starship Children's Health. Hayley has also supported Kate Winslet's Golden Hat Foundation, which helps people with autism.
Hayley Westenra's Albums
International Studio Albums
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Regional Studio Albums
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Compilation Albums
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See also
In Spanish: Hayley Westenra para niños
