Kiri Te Kanawa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kiri Te Kanawa
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Te Kanawa in 2013
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| Born |
Claire Mary Teresa Rawstron
6 March 1944 Gisborne, New Zealand
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| Occupation | Opera singer (soprano) |
| Years active | 1968–2017 |
| Spouse(s) |
Desmond Park
(m. 1967; div. 1997) |
| Children | 2 |
Dame Kiri Jeanette Claire Te Kanawa, born Claire Mary Teresa Rawstron on March 6, 1944, is a famous opera singer from New Zealand. She has a beautiful and powerful voice, known as a "lyric soprano." People describe her voice as warm, rich, and natural. She became famous around the world on December 1, 1971. This happened when she performed as the Countess in Mozart's opera Le nozze di Figaro at the Royal Opera House in London.
Kiri Te Kanawa has received many awards and honors in different countries. She sang music from the 1600s, 1700s, 1800s, and 1900s. She also sang in many languages. She is especially known for singing music by Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, and Richard Strauss. Often, she played characters who were noble or royal. She released several albums that were very popular in Australia in the mid-1980s.
Later in her career, Dame Kiri performed less often in operas. Instead, she focused on concerts and special performances. She also spent a lot of time teaching young opera singers. She helped them learn and grow in their musical journeys.
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About Kiri Te Kanawa's Early Life
Kiri Te Kanawa was born Claire Mary Teresa Rawstron in Gisborne, New Zealand. She was adopted as a baby by Thomas and Nell Te Kanawa. Her adoptive family is part of the Māori tribe called Ngāti Maniapoto.
She went to St Mary's College, Auckland, where she learned to sing opera. Her teacher was Sister Mary Leo Niccol. Kiri Te Kanawa started as a mezzo-soprano singer. But her voice later developed into a soprano. One of her early recordings, "Nuns' Chorus," was the first gold record in New Zealand. This means it sold a lot of copies.
Kiri Te Kanawa met Desmond Park in London in 1967. They got married six weeks later in Auckland. They adopted two children, Antonia and Thomas. The couple later divorced in 1997.
Kiri Te Kanawa's Singing Career
When she was a teenager and in her early twenties, Kiri Te Kanawa was a pop star in New Zealand. She performed in clubs and was often featured in newspapers. In 1963, she was second in the Mobil Song Quest. She won the same competition in 1965. Winning this prize helped her get a scholarship to study music in London.
She also appeared in the 1966 musical film Don't Let It Get You. In 1966, she won another singing contest, the Melbourne Sun-Aria. Both Kiri and the previous year's winner, Malvina Major, were taught by Sister Mary Leo.
Starting Out in London
In 1966, Kiri Te Kanawa joined the London Opera Centre. She studied with Vera Rózsa and James Robertson. James Robertson reportedly said she had a gift for charming audiences. Her first stage role was in Mozart's The Magic Flute. In 1967, she switched to soprano training. A music critic, Alan Blyth, saw her perform and predicted she would be a big opera star.
She also sang in other operas, like Anna Bolena and La donna del lago. Her performance in Mozart's Idomeneo led to a contract with the Royal Opera House. She made her debut there in 1970. She was then offered the role of the Countess in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro. The conductor, Colin Davis, was amazed by her voice. She prepared carefully for this important role, which opened in December 1971.
Becoming an International Star
Before her London success, Kiri Te Kanawa also performed as the Countess in Figaro at the Santa Fe Opera in New Mexico. This happened on July 30, 1971. People immediately recognized her amazing talent.
On December 1, 1971, her performance at Covent Garden made her an international sensation. Critics said her singing was incredibly beautiful. She then performed as the Countess in other major cities like Lyon and San Francisco. In 1972, she sang Desdemona in Otello in Glasgow. Her 1974 debut at the Metropolitan Opera (Met) was unexpected. She stepped in at the last minute for another singer.
Kiri Te Kanawa performed at many famous opera houses around the world. These include Glyndebourne Festival (1973), Paris (1975), Sydney (1976), Milan (1978), Salzburg (1979), and Vienna (1980). In 1982, she sang Tosca on stage only twice in Paris. She added new roles to her performances, like Elisabeth de Valois in Verdi's Don Carlos and the Countess in Richard Strauss's Capriccio.
She also performed at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Paris Opera, Sydney Opera House, and Vienna State Opera. She sang other Mozart roles, like Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni and Pamina in Die Zauberflöte. She also sang Italian roles like Mimi in Puccini's La bohème. She appeared in a 1979 film version of Don Giovanni.
In 1981, an estimated 600 million people watched her sing. This was at the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer. She sang Handel's "Let the bright Seraphim."
In 1984, Leonard Bernstein decided to record his musical West Side Story again. Kiri Te Kanawa played the role of Maria. She was very excited to be part of the project. This recording won a Grammy Award for Best Cast Show Album in 1985. A documentary called The Making of West Side Story was made about the recording process.
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Kiri Te Kanawa especially loved the female characters in operas by Richard Strauss. She first sang Arabella in Arabella in 1977. She also performed as the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier and the Countess in Capriccio. Many of her performances were conducted by Georg Solti. In 1981, she recorded Le nozze di Figaro with him.
In 1991, she sang the theme song "World in Union" for the 1991 Rugby World Cup. This song became very popular in the UK. In 1992, she performed at the Last Night of the Proms, singing "Rule, Britannia!".
Later in her career, she performed less on stage but remained a busy concert singer. She appeared in the opera Vanessa in 2001 and 2004. In 2006, she sang "Happy Birthday" to Queen Elizabeth at the Commonwealth Games in Australia.
In April 2010, Kiri Te Kanawa sang the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier in Cologne. That same year, she played a speaking role in Donizetti's La fille du régiment at the Metropolitan Opera. She repeated this role several times, including for her 70th birthday in 2014. In October 2013, she appeared in the TV series Downton Abbey as the singer Nellie Melba.
Retirement and Later Years
On September 13, 2017, Kiri Te Kanawa announced she was retiring from performing. Her last performance was in Ballarat, Australia, in October 2016. After retiring, she focused on helping young artists. She also served as a judge in singing competitions.
In 2021, she moved back to New Zealand after living in the United Kingdom for 55 years. She was part of the official New Zealand group at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
Helping Young Artists
Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation
Kiri Te Kanawa started the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation. Its goal is to help talented young New Zealand singers and musicians. The foundation gives scholarships to support them in achieving their dreams.
Kiri Prize
In 2010, Kiri Te Kanawa and BBC Radio 2 started a competition called the BBC Radio 2 Kiri Prize. They wanted to find a future opera star. Over 600 singers auditioned. Forty were invited to special classes with Kiri Te Kanawa.
From these classes, 15 singers were chosen for the semi-finals. These were broadcast on BBC Radio 2. Five singers reached the final. The winner was soprano Shuna Scott Sendall. She performed with Kiri Te Kanawa and José Carreras at a concert in London. She also got to attend a special music course in Italy.
Honors and Awards
Kiri Te Kanawa has received many important honors. She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1973 for her services to music. In 1982, she became a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. This means she is called "Dame Kiri."
She also received honors from the French Government in 1988. In 1995, she was appointed to the Order of New Zealand, which is a very high honor in her home country. In 1990, Australia also honored her. In 2005, she received an honorary music degree from the University of Bath. A stained glass window showing her as Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music, was unveiled in a cathedral in New Zealand in 2012.
In 2018, she was made a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour. This is another very special award for her services to music.
In November 2019, a theater in New Zealand was renamed the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre. This was to celebrate her amazing work and her 75th birthday.
Awards Received
Kiri Te Kanawa was named Artist of the Year by Gramophone magazine in 1982. In 2008, she received the Edison Classical Music Award in the Netherlands. In 2012, she won a World Class New Zealand award.
In 2006, she received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement. This award was presented by Dame Julie Andrews. In 2010, she received the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.
