Te Kanawa, Kiri, << teh KAH nah wah, KIHR ee >> (1944-…), a New Zealand opera singer, became one of the most praised sopranos in the world. She sang the major roles in operas of such composers as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Georges Bizet, and Richard Strauss. Critics especially praised her rich and lyrical voice, with its freshness and warmth.
Te Kanawa was born on March 6, 1944, in Gisborne, New Zealand. Her first major operatic success came in 1971 in the role of Countess Almaviva in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro at Covent Garden in London. In 1974, she made her debut with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. This appearance came on about three hours’ notice, when she substituted for an ailing performer as Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello. Her performance helped make her an international star. In 1982, Queen Elizabeth II made her a Dame Commander in the Order of the British Empire, and she became known as Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. Te Kanawa formally announced her retirement as a performer in 2017.
