Dame Kiri Te Kanawa

Norman Lebrecht interviews Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, who, at the age of 81 and now settled back in her native New Zealand, reminisces about her life and career.

Dame Kiri recalls her early beginnings as an adopted girl in Gisborne, before winning a scholarship that would take her to the UK, propelling her career. She remembers her magnificent Covent Garden debut singing the role of The Countess in Mozart's Marriage of Figaro, and her debut at The Met in New York - stepping in at the last minute to perform Desdemona in a live broadcast of Verdi's Otello. And she describes the experience of singing at the then Prince Charles's wedding with Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, which made her a household name beyond the world of opera.

Despite her glittering career Dame Kiri reflects on some difficult times in her life: the death of her mother, and the challenges of raising two adopted children while maintaining a busy and demanding international singing career. Dame Kiri offers some stern advice to young would-be opera stars, and talks about the joy of helping a new generation of singers in her native New Zealand through her foundation.