Te Kanawa, Kiri (1944–

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Te Kanawa, Kiri (1944–)

New Zealand soprano. Name variations: Dame Kiri Janette Te Kanawa. Born Mar 6, 1944, in Gisborne, North Island, New Zealand, of Maori and British parentage; m. Desmond Park, 1967.

Began career as a pop singer in night clubs in New Zealand and was accepted at London Opera Centre without audition; joined Royal Opera Company (1970) and appeared to critical acclaim as the Countess in Mozart's Marriage of Figaro (1971); debuted at Metropolitan Opera as Desdemona in Verdi's Otello (1974); appeared with most major companies in US, Europe and Australia; acclaimed roles include Mimìin Puccini's La Bohème, Tatyana in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, Micaela in Bizet's Carmen, and Donna Elvira in Mozart's Don Giovanni; released several recordings of classical and popular music, including Blue Skies (1986), Italian Opera Arias (1991), and Our Christmas Songs for You (1996); wrote Land of the Long White Cloud: Maori Myths and Legends (1989). Made DBE (1982).