Kiri Te Kanawa, the New Zealand-born international opera soprano is retiring her mellifluous vocal chords after a fifty year career.
Born 6 March 1944 at 2pm Gisborne, NZ, she was adopted as an infant and was classically trained at school, though she started her career as a pop singer and entertainer. Given a study grant she moved to London, sang with Sadlers’ Wells and then the Royal Opera House and since 1970 has appeared at all the world’s major opera houses and concert halls. Though the general public probably know her best for her performance at Prince Charles and Lady Diana’s wedding.
She has a much-travelled and musical 9th house Sun Mercury in Pisces, with her Sun in a highly-disciplined square to Mars Saturn in Gemini in the 12th; and her Mercury squares Uranus. The Mars Saturn also points to anger at her early beginnings since she has never sought to find or connect with her birth parents. But the grit has stood her in good stead for a punishing career of constant travel, daily voice practise, recordings and performances.
Her intensely emotional but private 8th house Venus in Aquarius opposes Jupiter (Pluto) in Leo, which latter sit with her Leo Moon in the 2nd, so she was clearly destined to forge a successful money-earning career.
She has a multi-talented Half Grand Sextile from Venus opposition Jupiter sextile/trine an Aries MC sextile Mars Saturn – so a mix of charm and hard-drive. Her focus ahead will be on training young singers though with tr Neptune conjunct her Sun in 2018 and then moving to square her Mars Saturn, she may not find retirement that easy.
She dearly loved her parents and considered them her parents in every way, no surprises she never looked for anyone else.