Issue 4
Welcome
Welcome to the December 2005 edition of 'Aria', the newsletter of the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation.
In this newsletter you will read about plans for the second Gala Concert and three special guests, meet the third recipient of a Foundation grant, catch-up with happenings in London and read about recent fundraising activities.
Take a wander - everything is just a 'mouse-click' away…
Dame Kiri & Friends - The Second Gala Concert
Plans for the second spectacular Gala Concert were recently unveiled. Dame Kiri will return to Wellington for this concert and she's enticed a very special friend to come as well. View the concert advertisement.
Legendary mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade will join Dame Kiri, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, conductor James Judd and the NBR New Zealand Opera's Chapman Tripp Opera Chorus in a one-off concert to be presented by the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation in association with UBS and PricewaterhouseCoopers. The concert will be staged at the Michael Fowler Centre on 11 February, 2006 with proceeds going to the Foundation to assist young New Zealand singers and musicians.
Dame Kiri says Frederica, who is affectionately known as "Flicka" to family, friends and fans, "is one of the classical world's most-beloved Divas". Read all about Flicka on her website.
"Flicka is a great musician, a marvellously generous and supportive colleague, and a simply wonderful singer who has enriched the world of classical music for more than three decades performing in all of the world's leading opera houses."
Dame Kiri has worked with Flicka on many occasions since 1970, when they first performed Marriage of Figaro in New Mexico.
"We've been great friends ever since," said Dame Kiri.
Flicka has become an internationally renowned concert artist, performing with virtually every great orchestra and conductor throughout America and Europe. A recent San Francisco Chronicle review of a recital praised her "effortless charisma and lustrous musicianship", describing her singing as "enchanting" and her stage presence as "pure magic". The New York Times defined her as "one of America's finest artists and singers."
Dame Kiri said she was thrilled that she had at last managed to persuade Flicka to come to New Zealand - "not that it took too much persuasion; Flicka has seen and heard so much about New Zealand from me and others, and can't wait to get here to see it all for herself.
"We're both really looking forward to the opportunity to perform together again at the Wellington concert. We'll be joined on stage by some highly talented young singers in a programme of arias, duets and ensembles from operatic and concert repertoire.
"The marvellous New Zealand Symphony Orchestra will play, under the baton of another very good friend, James Judd."
Dame Kiri, Flicka and James Judd have generously donated their services for the concert.
BREAKING NEWS - Because of the cancellation of the proposed TV recording of the Gala Concert, 100 seats have just become available in all price brackets. Call Ticketek on +61 (0) 4 499 8343.
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Kirsten Becomes Foundations Third Recipient
Young Christchurch-born pianist Kirsten Simpson has received a major boost for her musical career, winning the support and backing of New Zealand's two most famous opera singers.
In September Kirsten was named as the third recipient of a Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation grant, which enabled her to attend the 2005 Summer Academy of the prestigious Solti Accademia di Bel Canto in Italy. And in its first co-operative grant, the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation then joined with the Dame Malvina Major Foundation to provide funding to enable Kirsten to complete the final term of her four-year course at the Royal Academy of Music.
Kirsten, who graduated from the Royal Academy of Music last year with a postgraduate diploma in performance, was the first pianist to be accepted on the Solti Accademia di Bel Canto course which enabled her to work intensely on Italian repertoire and language in Italy.
Kirsten described the joint support from the Kiri Te Kanawa and Dame Malvina Major Foundations as among the highlights of her career to date, and "a wonderful encouragement to continue to pursue my great passion of music".
Dame Kiri said it was a particular pleasure to be helping a young musician as talented as Kirsten, and being able to join resources with her old friend Dame Malvina to provide additional support to enable Kirsten to complete her studies.
"We had always envisaged the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation working co-operatively with a range of similar organisations, and it is a joy for me to have Dame Malvina's Foundation as a partner in this wonderful support project".
Dame Kiri and Dame Malvina described Kirsten as a shining example of the great wealth of natural musical talent in New Zealand.
"Our Foundations are making a difference - there are endless singers and musicians coming forward and asking for help. Whilst being very focused on the established criteria for support we are also very aware of the importance of mentoring these talented young New Zealanders. It is a constant pleasure working with them" they added.
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Young Talent Joins Dame Kiri's Gala Concert Line-up
Two very talented young singers have been invited by Dame Kiri to perform with her at the Gala Concert next February:
Korean baritone Seung-Wook Seong graduated from the Yon-Sei University in Seoul with a First Class degree in singing. As part of his graduation award, he performed in a Kuk Min recital. From university, Seung-Wook Seong embarked on operatic appearances throughout Korea, including Don Alfonso (Cosi Fan Tutte), Leporello (Don Giovanni), Betto (Gianni Schicchi), and as oratorio soloist in Handel's Messiah and the Masses of Gounod and Mozart.
At the end of 2001, he won a prestigious entrance scholarship to Royal Academy Opera, to study with Mark Wildman and Audrey Hyland. While there, he has won the Richard Lewis-Jean Shanks award, the Ludmila Andrew Russian Song Compeititon, the Blyth-Buesst Operatic prize, and the Opera Rara Bel Canto competition.
His roles for Royal Opera Academy include Littore (L'Incoronazione di Poppea), Haraschata (Janacek's The Cunning Little Vixen), Don Carlo (Verdi's Ernani), Pandolfe (Massenet's Cendrillon) and Prince Yamadori (Holland Park's outdoor Madame Butterfly). London reviews are already commenting that his beautiful and flexible voice is "well suited to Verdi roles."
New Zealand Soprano Anna Leese, currently a student at the Royal College of Music, London, holds a MusB degree with First Class Honours from Otago University, where she studied with Isabel Cunningham. While still a student, Anna's list of awards and prizes as a soloist is already considerable: the 2001 Dame Sister Mary Leo Scholarship; the 2002 Mobil Song Quest; the 2002 Lockwood Aria; the 2003 MacDonalds Aria (Sydney); the 2004 Overseas League singer's award (London) and the 2005 Richard Tauber award.
In London, Anna's engagements have included the soprano solos in Mahler's second symphony (under Bernard Haitink); the Faure Requiem; Mendelssohn's Elijah; the Bach St. John Passion; Vaughan Williams' Sea Symphony ; Elgar's The Apostles; and Handel's Messiah. Her operatic performances include Fiordiligi in Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte; Female Chorus in Britten's Rape of Lucretia; Juliet in Gounod's Romeo and Juliet; and Donna Anna in excerpts from Mozart's Don Giovanni with the London Mozart Players. In 2004 she returned to NZ to sing the role of Ilia in Mozart's Idomeneo.
In 2005 Anna Leese performed for HM The Queen and Prime Minister Blair, at Westminster Abbey's Commonwealth Day Observance Service, and joined Dame Kiri to sing at Martin Johnstone's testimonial match at Twickenham.
(Biography notes - Max Cryer)
Unique Opportunity for Foundation Recipients
When the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra recently visited the UK as part of their international tour Dame Kiri suggested to conductor James Judd that Ana James, the inaugural Foundation award recipient, and young conductor Kerry Jago, the second recipient, join them as her guest during the rehearsals for her concert with the NZSO at Snape Maltings. James readily agreed and the two joined the orchestra during the rehearsal of Dame Kiri's Mozart arias - Kerry conducting the NZSO mentored by James Judd and Ana singing the arias mentored by Dame Kiri. It was an invaluable experience for Ana and Kerry pictured here with Dame Kiri.
Invest In The Future of New Zealand Music - There Are Many Ways to Support the Foundation's Work
The Foundation offers a range of various opportunities to support its work. A twelve page brochure is available on request with details of specific support packages with various benefits available. The Foundation will also welcome any donation or comments about the Foundation's work.
Leave A Legacy - Remember the Foundation with a bequest
It's often said that we are put on this earth "to live, to love, to learn and to leave a legacy". What better way to leave a legacy for music than by making a bequest in your will to the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation. The Foundation was recently delighted to receive its first bequest - a legacy left for the Foundation from the estate of the late Rhema Jessie Scott who obviously had a love of music and wanted to leave her legacy in the form of a contribution towards the ongoing work of the Foundation.
Leaving a bequest is a simple procedure that allows you to include the Foundation as a beneficiary of your will. Bequests are usually directed to the Foundation for use at the trustee's discretion but they can also be directed towards a specific need such as a music scholarship for a talented singer, musician or conductor identified by the trustees as meeting all the required criteria.
If you would like to discuss this matter further or would like a copy of sample language for your lawyer please contact the Foundation office.
Busy Year for Friends of the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation in the UK
The Friends of the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation have had a very successful year including two recent fundraising concerts given by Dame Kiri. The Bexhill-on-Sea Gala Concert at the De La Warr Pavilion with the English Chamber Orchestra concert raised funds for the Chichester Cathedral Restoration Trust and the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation and a similar concert at The Centaur Cheltenham Racecourse with Dame Kiri and tenor John Matz with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra raised GB£20,000 for the Foundation. A private function for UBS this month will round off the group's activities for 2005.
...Finally
We will keep in touch and keep you in touch about the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation and its activities. The next issue of Aria will feature more exciting news and views about the Foundation.
- If you would like us to mail material about the Foundation to you, please ask. Be sure to include your contact details in your email to the Foundation.
- However, if you do not wish to receive further editions of this newsletter, please let us know.
The Trustees of the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation wish all its supporters a very happy Christmas and a successful New Year.
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