“It is to enable singers not to sing simply as they have been told to sing, but to find out how they want to sing. This programme is about teaching the singers how to own their voices. This is a philosophy close to Solti’s heart and it is the intention of the Accademia to foster this self-discovery in support of the next generation’s top talent.” Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa was born in New Zealand and was singing publicly from the age of six. She travelled to London on a four year scholarship to study at the London Opera Centre. As a result of student performances in London and later small-scale but prestigious appearances, her voice caught the attention of Sir Colin Davis who was about to present his first major production at the Royal Opera House, and invited her to sing the leading soprano role. That debut, as the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro (1971) was a sensation, and Te Kanawa rapidly moved into the front rank of international music stars.
A familiar figure in the major opera houses of four continents, Kiri Te Kanawa performs a large repertoire of lyric soprano heroines by Strauss, Verdi, Gounod, Mozart, Puccini, Tchaikovsky and Bizet. On the concert platform, she appears constantly with the principal orchestras of Britain, Europe, Asia and Australasia, and her ease with cameras and recording studios has brought her art to enormous audiences both within and without the classical musical genre.
In addition to complete operas, Te Kanawa's recordings include aria collections from Bizet, French and Italian selections, song cycles by Berlioz, DuParc and Ravel, and the famous Songs of the Auvergne albums, which topped the best-seller charts in Britain. Recently, the album 'Maori Songs' was released to much acclaim.
Her operatic performances on video include Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, Der Rosenkavalier, Die Fledermaus, Manon Lescaut, Otello, Arabella and Capriccio.
Te Kanawa, Solti and the Accademia
“In recent years I have devoted more and more time to my quest to discover a new 'super-singer'. Since 2005 I have been involved with the Accademia Solti Te Kanawa in their wonderful work to find, encourage and support classical singers from around the world. It is a joy to be able to use my experience and expertise to help seek out and mentor our next generation of outstanding classical singers, and to ensure they receive the support necessary to nurture and develop their talents.
My particular aim is to instil an awareness of the importance of vocal health and care, in sustaining vocal longevity. In many cases, the ability to hold back a voice until it is fully ready is critical to a singer's success. Only when the student has the mental maturity to understand the workings of their voice, particularly its limits, and with the help and advice of their singing teacher, vocal coach, mentor etc, can they embark on their journey. This is why I launched The Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation in 2004, a charity that aims to give advice, mentoring and financial aid to committed New Zealand singers and musicians, who show an extremely high level of talent. In fact, The Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation made its initial award to a student in the first year of the Accademia in 2004.
I am hugely indebted to Sir Georg. His love of music, dedication
and determination were inspirational to me as a young singer. Now,
through this Accademia in both our names, I hope to inspire a new
generation of singers.”
Kiri Te Kanawa