📍Gisborne, New Zealand
1944 – 1956“Kiri Te Kanawa was born in Gisborne in 1944 and adopted at five weeks old by Tom and Nell Te Kanawa. Tom was Māori and Nell was Pākehā, a strong-willed woman who loved music and was determined that her daughter would have every chance. Gisborne, on Poverty Bay on the East Coast, was a warm, relaxed town of beaches and farms, and Kiri grew up surrounded by both Māori and Pākehā family and community. Nell recognised early that Kiri could sing, and she encouraged her constantly, taking her to perform at local events. Kiri sang at home, at church and at school concerts, and her clear voice made her stand out. When Kiri was about twelve, Nell decided that her daughter needed proper training, and the family moved to Auckland so that she could attend St Mary's College, where Sister Mary Leo, a famous singing teacher, took her under her wing, sometimes pulling her out of lessons to practise. Kiri came second in the Mobil Song Quest in 1963 and won it in 1965, then went to London to study. In 1971 her Countess in The Marriage of Figaro at Covent Garden made her a star, and in 1981 she sang at the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, watched by hundreds of millions. She has never forgotten her roots and has supported young New Zealand singers through her foundation. In 2025 the Song Quest that launched her was renamed the Kiri Te Kanawa Song Quest.”
🗺️ Approximate location today
📍 Street view today