Dame Kiri’s Wonderful Life

The term ageing gracefully is almost an oxymoron. But according to Heather Evans, at age 60, it appears to have come naturally to Dame Kiri.

Draped over a Harley Davidson with her slim legs encased in motorcycle leathers, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa looks less opera diva than something from the pop musical Grease. But this is how photographer John Swannell has chosen to picture her in his newly released book I’m Still Standing. The book features such golden luminaries as Helen Mirren, Judi Dench and Michael Caine, who’ve stood the test of time in a youth-obsessed pop culture.

With her regal bone structure and astonishing fresh beauty, it’s hard to believe Dame Kiri already qualifies for a senior’s discount, turning 60 next year. But evergreen as she is, her appearance is just a small part of her attractiveness and enduring popularity.

Born in New Zealand in 1944, Kiri was adopted and raised by the Te Kanawa family. Tom Te Kanawa named her after his father Kiri, which in Maori means bell.

Even from an early age it was plain that Kiri was aptly named, with her clear and melodious voice. Her mother, Nell, was a pianist and so spotted Kiri’s talent early, giving her singing lessons from the age of five. By eight Kiri was singing on New Zealand radio, then soon appeared on television and the concert stage, and in film.

The Te Kanawa family moved to Auckland when Kiri was 12, where she continued to perfect her craft. At 15 she began singing lessons with New Zealand vocalist Dame Sister Mary Leo. The association paid dividends and by the time she’d turned 20, in 1964, she’d won all the major prizes available in the South Pacific.

She began by winning major singing events at the Hamilton and Tauranga festivals in New Zealand. Then she shot to stardom in her homeland the following year, winning the Mobil Quest competition and John Court Aria prize before heading to Australia to win the first Dame Nellie Melba Aria in Sydney and the coveted Sun Aria in Melbourne. She also began recording—which, at such a young age, is an unusual achievement for a prima donna—and had her biography published.

On the strength of her stunning public performances, Kiri was accepted without audition to study at the London Opera Centre as a mezzo-soprano.

Kiri initially appeared in little-known operas, such as Delibes’ Le Roi l’a dit and Wolf-Ferrari’s The Inquisitive Woman. Then she received critical praise as Idamantes in Mozart’s Idomeneo, leading to a three-year contract as a junior principal at Covent Garden. But it was her role of Xenia in Boris Godunov and the countess in The Marriage of Figaro that brought her international attention.

The young Kiri was an instant hit and quickly became the darling of the international music scene. She’d blossomed from pretty child prodigy to a stunning beauty with a natural serenity and the voice of an angel. With the bonus of her exotic appeal as a descendent of Maori aristocracy, Kiri could do no wrong.

Even as her career soared, she managed to find time for love. She met Brisbane-born Desmond Park on a blind date in Piccadilly Circus. Friends have described Kiri as “warm, personable, friendly and very loyal.”

Her disarmingly open nature and natural beauty made a devastating combination and it was not surprising that the former mining engineer was smitten and soon went down on one knee. The couple was married at St Patrick’s Cathedral, in Auckland, in August 1967. Not surprisingly she was nominated New Zealand Bride of the Year.

In 1970 her career reached new heights, with her year ending in a Royal Command Performance before most of Britain’s Royal Family – including a young Prince Charles. It was the first time the prince had seen Kiri perform, and she took his breath away. Years earlier she had had a hit with a recording of the “Nun’s Chorus.” On the B-side was “Let the Bright Seraphim,” which she sang at Charles and Diana’s wedding in St Paul’s Cathedral in 1981. This was the world’s largest direct telecast audience to date, estimated at more than 600 million, and her fame spread.

In 1971 she performed as the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro in America and had a sensational debut at the Royal Opera House in the same role. By now Kiri was unstoppable.

Her brilliant performances brought her to the attention of master opera tutor Richard Bonynge, who discovered that she was a true lyric soprano. She was then taken on by another master teacher, Vera Rosza, who had a special understanding of the lyric soprano voice, and helped her to further develop her enormous talent.

But the adulation of a global audience and her ongoing success did not offer complete fulfilment to the singer. She wanted a family. Kiri chose to adopt two children, Antonia, named after the author Antonia Fraser, and Thomas, named after her father.
Kiri adored motherhood and the pair became her pride and joy. She remains very close to her children and they were a great comfort to her during the tragic breakdown of her marriage in 1997.

Kiri was now a fully established international star with a great deal of influence in the musical world. But she never forgot her roots and worked hard to ensure young people in her homeland would have the opportunity to develop their musical talent. She also works with many charities, both musical and non-musical.

Meanwhile, public interest in her singing had only increased as her voice entered its full maturity. She was created a Dame of the British Empire in 1982 and became a familiar figure in the leading opera houses of the world, including Covent Garden, the Metropolitan, the Chicago Lyric Opera, Paris Opera, Sydney Opera House, the Vienna State and La Scala.

She has a huge repertoire, from the classics of opera to the art songs of French, German and British composers as well as succeeding in the popular music scene with her “hit single” “World in Union,” and a hymn called “I Vow to Thee My Country,” which became a favourite of Princess Diana.

But not content to limit herself to the somewhat elite world of opera, she also worked with many well-known pop stars, including Paul McCartney, Tom Jones and the inimitable Dame Edna. She has also performed with great tenors such as Jon Vickers, José Carreras, Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo.

She has appeared in some of the greatest venues in the world and some of the humblest, including tiny venues in the Outback of Australia and under the stars.

In 1990 she set a record during a tour of Australia and New Zealand, attracting a crowd of 140,000 people to an outdoor concert in Auckland, the same year she was awarded the Order of Australia. She also holds many honorary doctorates from universities in the USA, New Zealand, and from Oxford and Cambridge in the UK.

In 1997 Kiri’s marriage fell apart. Earlier in her marriage she’d been shocked to discover that Desmond had been having an affair with his secretary, but she had given him a second chance. Now, sadly, he left her for another woman.
During this time of personal tragedy, Kiri became even closer to her children and took refuge in her music. She remained a firm favourite with the public and was chosen to herald the dawn of the new millennium.

As the sun rose on the dawn of the year 2000, she sang on the beach in Gisborne, NZ, which was broadcast to 55 countries. Two years later she sang at the Queen’s Golden Jubilee concert in the UK.

Beyond her love of music and singing, Kiri has many interests. She has written two books, Land of the Long White Cloud and Opera for Lovers. She is a keen swimmer, loves to waterski and has recently taken up tennis. She is also an avid and skilled golfer, a fine skeet shooter and enjoys fishing.

Friends say she can cook almost as well as she can sing. And despite her reputation as a gentle, artistic type, she is a rabid supporter of rugby and follows the games on television.

As she approaches the age of retirement, Kiri shows no sign of slowing. She says she hopes to continue singing as long as she can find voice and, if her current schedule is anything to go by, she will be around for a long time.

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