Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
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Biography
Born Clair Mary Teresa Rawstron on March 6, 1944 in Gisborne, New Zealand, the acclaimed opera soprano is better known as Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. One of operaâs most beloved vocalists, her repertoire included works sung in many different languages dating back to the 17th century. She began her career by singing pop songs in New Zealand clubs in the early 1960s before moving to London, England and enrolling at the London Opera Center in 1966. She began to gain attention for her appearances in productions such as Mozartâs The Magic Flute, Purcellâs Dido and Aeneas, Rossinis La donna del lego, and Donizettiâs Anna Bolena. Her career picked up steam when she appeared in several American shows including The Marriage of Figaro in July, 1971. Further productions in the early 1970s took Kiri Te Kanawa to Scotland, France, Australia, Germany, Italy, and back to America. By the 1980s, she was a world-renowned vocalist and, in 1984, appeared in the operatic revival of West Side Story conducted by composer Leonard Bernstein himself. Since 1966, Kiri Te Kanawa has released over 200 albums including studio, live, and compilations. Her catalog includes Brahms: A German Requiem (1979), Verdi & Puccini (1983), Handel: Messiah (1985), Wagner: Tannhäuser (1993) and Bizet: Carmen (1998). She has won many awards during her career and her honors include being appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to music, in the 1973 Queen's Birthday Honours. She was elevated to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for services to opera, in the 1982 Queen's Birthday Honours. Kiri Te Kanawa continued to perform regularly until the mid-1990s, when her live performances became less frequent. She rarely performed opera in her later years and her final performance was in October 2016. She announced her retirement in September 2017.
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Albums
Top Tracks
- Track Popularity
- La Damnation de Faust Op. 24: D'amour l'ardente flamme featuring Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
- Suor Angelica: "Senza mamma, o bimbo, tu sei morto!" (Suor Angelica)
- Hérodiade: Celui dont la parole...Il est doux, il est bon featuring Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
- Andrea Chenier: La mamma morta (Act III) featuring London Symphony Orchestra
- Eugene Onegin: To write is foolishness (Letter scene) by Charles Mackerras
- Der Rosenkavalier, Op.59: Da geht er hin featuring Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
- Der Rosenkavalier Op. 59: Ich werd' jetzt in die Kirchen geh'n by Bernard Haitink
- Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera~Spira Sul Mare
- Turandot, opera~In Questa Reggia
- Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera~Con Onor Muore Chi Non Può Serbar Vita Con Onore...Tu, Tu
- Turandot, opera~Tu, Che Di Gel Sei Cinta
- Verdi: Otello / Act 1: "Già nella notte densa...Venga la morte" featuring Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
- R. Strauss: Allerseelen, Op.10, No.8 by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
- R. Strauss: Morgen, Op.27, No.4 by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
- R. Strauss: Madrigal, Op.15, No.1 by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
- Il trovatore: Timor di me? - D'amor sull'ali rosee
- Mozart: Die Zauberflöte, K.620 / Act 2 - "Ach, ich fühl's" featuring Colin Davis
- Mozart: Lucio Silla, K.135 - Pupille amate featuring Colin Davis
- Mozart: Il re pastore, K.208 / Act 2 - "L'amerò, sarò costante" featuring Colin Davis
- Mozart: Così fan tutte, K.588 / Act 2 - Ei parte...Senti... - Per pietà , ben mio, perdona featuring Colin Davis
- Mozart: La clemenza di Tito, K.621 / Act 2 - "S'altro che lagrime" featuring Colin Davis
- Mozart: La finta giardiniera, K.196 - Crudeli fermate - Ah dal pianto featuring Colin Davis
- Mozart: Zaide, K.344 / Act 1 - "Ruhe sanft, mein holdes Leben" featuring Colin Davis
- R. Strauss: Die Nacht, Op.10, No.3 by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
