Te Kanawa, (Dame) Kiri

views updated May 21 2018

Te Kanawa, (Dame) Kiri (b Gisborne, Auckland, NZ, 1944). NZ soprano. Opera début as Elena in Rossini's La donna del lago, Camden Fest. 1969, then CG début 1970. First major CG role was Countess in Le nozze di Figaro 1971. Amer. début (Santa Fe) 1971; Glyndebourne 1973; NY Met début 1974; Salzburg Fest. 1979. Chosen by bridegroom to sing at wedding of Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer in St Paul's Cath., 1981. Fine lyric sop., especially in Mozart, Verdi, and Strauss. Recorded West Side Story, cond. Bernstein. OBE 1973. DBE 1982.