Te Kanawa was born in Gisborne, on New Zealand's North Island. She has both Māori and European ancestry, but little is known about her birth parents as she was adopted as an infant. She is the adopted daughter of an Irish mother and Māori father. In her teens and early 20s, Te Kanawa was a pop star and popular entertainer at clubs in New Zealand.
She was educated at Saint Mary's College Auckland and formally trained in operatic singing by the celebrated Dame Sister Mary Leo, RSM, who was New Zealand's best-known opera coach. She began her singing career as a mezzo-soprano, but later developed into a soprano. Her recording of the "Nuns' Chorus" from the Strauss operetta Casanova was New Zealand's first gold record.
Kiri married Desmond Park, whom she met on a blind date in Auckland in August 1967 and married 6 months later. The couple adopted two children, Antonia (1976) and Thomas (1979, named after Kiri's adoptive father). The couple divorced in the late 1990s.
Career
In 1965 she won the prestigious Mobil Song Quest, entered by all types of singers, jazz, pop and classical, with her performance of Puccini's "Vissi d'arte" from Tosca. As the winner, she received a grant to study in London.
Early years in London
In 1966, without an audition, she enrolled at the London Opera Centre to study under James Robertson, who is said to have stated that Te Kanawa did not have any singing technique when she arrived at the school but did have a gift for captivating audiences.
She first appeared on stage as the "Second Lady" in Die Zauberflöte, as well as in performances of Dido and Aeneas in December 1968 at the Sadler's Wells Theatre. In 1969, she sang "Elena" in Gioacchino Rossini's La donna del lago at the Camden Festival. Praise for her "Idamante" in Mozart's Idomeneo led to an offer of a three-year contract as junior principal at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden where she made her debut as 'Xenia' in Boris Godunov and a 'Flower Maiden' in Parsifal in 1970, and was also heard as the "Voice from Heaven", an off-stage role, at the end of Verdi's Don Carlo. Also, during 1969, she was offered the role of the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro after an audition in which the conductor, Colin Davis said "I couldn't believe my ears. I've taken thousands of auditions, but it was such a fantastically beautiful voice." Under director John Copley, Te Kanawa was carefully groomed for the role for a December 1971 opening.
International career
Meanwhile, word of her success had reached John Crosby at the Santa Fe Opera, a summer opera festival in the U.S. state of New Mexico then about to begin its fifteenth season. He cast her in the role of the Countess in Figaro, which opened on 30 July 1971. "It was two of the newcomers who left the audience dazzled: Frederica von Stade as Cherubino and Kiri Te Kanawa as the Countess. Everyone knew at once that these were brilliant finds. History has confirmed that first impression." Von Stade and Te Kanawa have continued this association even up to the present day. In 2007, they sang together at Kiri's farewell concert in Carnegie Hall.
But on 1 December 1971 at Covent Garden, Kiri Te Kanawa repeated the Santa Fe triumph and created an international sensation in the same role: "with 'Porgi amor' Kiri knocked the place flat." It was followed by performances as the Countess at the San Francisco Opera in autumn 1972, while her Metropolitan Opera debut in 1974 as Desdemona in Otello took place on short notice, replacing an ill Teresa Stratas at the last minute.
In subsequent years, she performed at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Paris Opera, Sydney Opera House, the Vienna State Opera, La Scala, San Francisco Opera, Munich and Cologne, adding the Mozart roles of Donna Elvira, Pamina, and Fiordiligi, in addition to Italian roles such as Mimi in La bohème. She played Donna Elvira in Joseph Losey's 1979 film adaptation of Don Giovanni.
Te Kanawa has a particular affinity for the heroines of Richard Strauss. Her first appearance in the title role in Arabella was at the Houston Grand Opera in 1977, followed by the roles of the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier and the Countess in Capriccio. Many performances were given under the baton of Georg Solti and it was with him that she made her first recording of Figaro.
Te Kanawa retired from the opera stage after her performances in Samuel Barber's Vanessa with the Washington National Opera and the Los Angeles Opera in November/December 2004, but she still performs in concert halls.
UK talk show host Michael Parkinson asked her to name the person she felt was the greatest singer that ever lived. She replied: "The young Elvis Presley, without any doubt."
Honours
Kiri Te Kanawa was conferred a Dame Commander of The Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1982, invested as an Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in 1990 and awarded the prestigious Order of New Zealand (ONZ) in the 1995 Queen's Birthday Honours List. She has also received honorary degrees from the following universities in the UK: Cambridge, Dundee, Durham, Nottingham, Oxford, Sunderland, Warwick as well as these universities worldwide: Chicago, Auckland and Waikato as well as being honorary fellow of Somerville College, Oxford and Wolfson College, Cambridge. She is also patron of Ringmer Community College, a school in the South-East of England.
Controversy
Te Kanawa has always been popular among New Zealanders, but in a 2003 interview with the Melbourne-based Herald Sun she was critical of the high rate of welfare dependence among the Māori people, angering some of her compatriots.
Te Kanawa has recently been taken to court by Leading Edge for cancelling a concert with Australian singer John Farnham after learning that his fans sometimes threw their underwear on stage, which he would then proudly display. She won this breach-of-contract lawsuit, in part because no binding contract was made, but over $100,000 in court costs were awarded against the Mittane holding company which employs and manages Te Kanawa.
Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation
Kiri founded the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation with the vision "that talented young New Zealand singers and musicians with complete dedication to their art may receive judicious and thoughtful mentoring and support to assist them in realising their dreams."
The Foundation manages a trust fund to provide financial and career scholarships to young New Zealand singers and musicians.
Let The Bright Seraphim
Kiri Te Kanawa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
in burning, row
their loud, uplifted angel trumpet blow
let the cherubin host,
in tuneful choirs,
touch their immortal herps
with golden wires
Kiri Te Kanawa's Let the Bright Seraphim is a classical piece that features a rich mix of powerful vocals and horn instruments. The lyrics, particularly, explore a deep form of religious expression as the singer calls on the angels of the Lord to blow their trumpets and create a divine atmosphere. The lyrics, overall, highlight a sense of power, masculinity, and musical prowess. The writer describes the angels as "burning" and "loud," while referring to their trumpets as "uplifted" and played with passion. What's interesting is that the song borrows heavily from biblical literature and resonates well with listeners who seek a deeper connection with the spiritual world.
The second verse of the song encourages the cherubin host to also join the angelic choir in creating a harmonious sound. The writer describes the cherubin as "touch(ing) their immortal harps with golden wires," referencing the biblical harps played by angels. The mention of the golden wires symbolizes beauty and perfection, adding a touch of richness to the song. As the two choirs sing in unison, the song culminates into a heavenly conversation between God and the angels.
Line by Line Meaning
lets the bright serapim
Allow the radiant, celestial beings
in burning, row
To stand in formation, with fiery passion
their loud, uplifted angel trumpet blow
To play their powerful and triumphant music upon their raised angelic trumpets
let the cherubin host,
Allow the group of small, angelic beings
in tuneful choirs,
To sing together in harmonious unison
touch their immortal herps
To play their enduring harps
with golden wires
Using strings made of pure, precious gold
Contributed by Grace M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Zimatar
This performance catapulted Kiri Te Kanawa an international superstar of the classical music world. She deserves.
65NART
I watched this as a 16 year old in Trinidad 🇹🇹 West Indies and fell in love with Dame Kiri instantly. What a consummate performer, what a diva in the right sense of the word. Fabulous.
Fernando Puig Ramassat
I love the faces she makes while she is singing like saying: I know exactly what I'm doing and I'm enjoying it.
Chi Eg
Kiri was already a famous opera singer at this point. But this performance made her famous around the world and put her on par with Pavarotti and Domingo.
Caitlin Maher
Kiri Te Kanawa is certainly in my top 5 of great sopranos in the past 60 years. She is so versatile even now ie.2016. :)
baritonebynight
Ironically, in late 2016 is when she quietly retired from singing. She is still teaching and every once in a while when teaching she will sing a note or two....and the voice is still very much there.
Charles Rhodes
Did you hear her sing on “ Downton Abbey? Not so good!
Chin D'awares
Who the hell would down-vote this sublime performance? Not liking the dress is no excuse 😉
Matthew Anderson
My favourite of all voices. Beautiful beyond imagining.
Joycie JD
Dame Kiri is sublime