Kiri Te Kanawa

"March 2024: "I had very good teachers, I had very good coaches, teachers, managers, everything. But most of all, I had a singing teacher who was Hungarian, and she went through the war. I remember I brought her a loaf of bread once and she said 'Kiri, I once had only a raw onion and your bread has reminded me of what I went through during those times of trying to escape.' So she had that drive, whether it be the war or me, but that sort of thing was in her along with [Hungarian-British conductor] Sir Georg Solti who once again, was in the war and escaped as well. So I had two people who were survivors and they made sure that I was going to also do this job and make it, not survive it but make it. And they were always driving me, driving me constantly.""

"The saddest thing when I left New Zealand was that Māori was not spoken. My father was never allowed to speak Māori...Now of course it's allowed, and it's absolutely wonderful that all these young people can speak their own language. I'm very sad that I can't speak it because we were blocked at the time...I will do in my own way. I'm not sure that it will go in my 77-year-old head but I certainly will try. I listen a lot to Māori Television to see how it is even, even the sort of greetings and how everyone speaks it."

"Regarding her retirement: "My main focus is to enjoy my life. I'm living in the most beautiful area by the sea.""

"I don't look at myself as being a dame. I just look at myself as my mother and father's adopted daughter that they gave everything to. The chances I've been given have been through my parents who gave and sacrificed everything for the career that I now have."

"I don't want to hear my voice... It is in the past. When I'm teaching young singers and hearing beautiful young fresh voices, I don't want to put my voice next to theirs."