Dame Kiri Te Kanawa Retires From Singing

Dame Kiri te Kanawa who was watched by an estimated 600 million people when she sang Let the Bright Seraphim at the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, has announced her retirement from singing.

Dame Kiri shot to fame as the Countess in the 1971 Covent Garden production of the Marriage of Figaro. She added more Mozart roles of Donna Elvira, Pamina, and Fiordiligi to her repertoire as well as Puccini’s Mimi and a swag of Richard Strauss heroines.

More recently she has created a foundation that mentors outstanding young singers from New Zealand.

Read more about Dame Kiri te Kanawa’s stellar career and retirement in The Guardian, from the BBC.