Kiri Te Kanawa Playlist

An artist revered for her lustrous tone and onstage elegance, Kiri Te Kanawa made her Met debut during a 1974 Saturday matinee radio broadcast of Verdi’s Otello with only a few hours’ notice. The New Zealand–born soprano went on to appear 135 times in 11 roles with the company and became especially well beloved for her interpretations of the heroines of Richard Strauss, including the title character of Arabella, the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier, and the Countess in Capriccio. Te Kanawa also gave memorable performances in operas by Mozart (Così fan tutte and Le Nozze di Figaro) and Handel (Samson) before capping her illustrious Met career with appearances as the Duchess of Krakenthorp in Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment. In this hilarious cameo role, she not only proved herself a deft comedienne but also wowed audiences with a beautiful rendition “O fior del giorno” from Puccini’s rarely performed Edgar.