Dame Malvina Major and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa

Dame Malvina Major
Dame Malvina’s international opera career has included twenty eight major Operatic roles, extensive Oratorio and Concert repertoire and discography of commercial recordings.

With an international career spanning all continents, in 2006 Dame Malvina accepted an invitation from the Marinsky Academy in St Petersburg to be one of a panel of judges to the Rimsky-Korsakov International Competition. Most recently in August 2008, performed in St James, Piccadilly with Haley Westenra, Will Martin and the touring Boy's and Men’s Choir of Christchurch Cathedral, New Zealand , Music Director, Brian Law.

Outdoor concerts have become a feature of the summer season in New Zealand, and Dame Malvina has performed with Brian Law, conducting, in Concerts held throughout the country.

Dame Malvina has chosen to live in New Zealand, while maintaining an active international singing career. Her services to opera and the community were acknowledged in 1991 when she was invested New Year Honours the title, Principal Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. (PCNZM.The highest rank in the New Zealand Order of Merit). In 1992 she was named New Zealand Entertainer of the Year.

Kiri Te Kanawa
Kiri Te Kanawa was born in New Zealand with European and Maori heritage.

By the time she was twenty she had won the major vocal prizes available in the South Pacific, and had also started her recording career - unusual for a prima donna in any era. After moving to London and studying at the London Opera Centre. After first appearing as Carmen in Britain and New Zealand, the young Te Kanawa was marked for Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, first at Sante Fe then at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1971.

After her sensational debut in Figaro Kiri Te Kanawa gained legendary status almost overnight and moved rapidly into the front rank of international opera. She became one of the most famous sopranos in the world, a familiar figure in the leading opera houses of the world - Covent Garden, the Metropolitan, the Chicago Lyric Opera, Paris Opera, Sydney Opera House, the Vienna State, La Scala, San Francisco, Munich and Cologne.

One of our most successful and recognised international performers is the opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa. Her fame mostly came from performing music that is not New Zealand made, but she also gained international exposure for traditional and contemporary Maori songs through recordings such as ‘Pokarekare ana’.

We are privileged to have the presence of Dame Malvina and Dame Kiri performing under the stars together at Black Barn Amphitheatre for only the second time ever.

This performance promises to be one of the special occasions this summer that simply shouldn’t be missed.

Join us for a limited VIP pre-concert dinner in Black Barn Bistro, with dessert in the heart of the vineyard at the Growers Market at interval. Includes wine with dinner.

An area will be set aside for dinner guests at the Amphitheatre.

- VIP Concert and Dinner Package $200 each (menu to follow shortly).

This concert is a once in a life time experience with limited tickets be in quick.

Event listed by Francis de Jager

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