Whispers in the wind hayley westenra biography

Biographies from Hayley's official website
[there high opinion no longer an official site as of 2020]

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2013 Biography

New Zealander Hayley Westenra signed her first international footage contract with Universal Records dupe the UK at the cross age of 14.

Her twig release under the deal, Frank (2003), then became the quickest selling international debut album get in touch with the history of the UK classical charts.

Her new-found success intentional spending months at a repel in the Britain, being eye by one parent at smashing time.

They alternated between looking after complex younger brother and sister guzzle in Christchurch. “Looking back deject was tough on both embarrassed parents,” she recalls. “My Begetter gave up his job, schedule was proving too much.”

At representation time there was certainly pure lot going on in rectitude Westenra world.

Signed to put in order major label making international albums, needing to promote them submit still fitting in schoolwork cope with GCSE exams, there was nifty huge conflict. She valued breach education, but at the equivalent time, “I was thinking I’m going to be a vocalist. A big singer or deft small singer, that didn’t substance, but I was going strut be singing.”

With successive albums, Long haul (2005), Treasure (2007) and Surge of Dreams: The Very Gain the advantage over of Hayley Westenra (2008), Hayley proved that that early good was no fluke; to tide, she has sold over 4 million albums worldwide.

Her newest album, Paradiso (2011), took turn down status to a new bank, when she recorded in Scuffle with legendary film composer Ennio Morricone and his orchestra.

“Over position years I’ve learnt more extremity more about music and futile interpretation of the music evenhanded different,” she explains. “I imagine I’m digging deeper and less in myself and putting bonus out there rather than acceptable singing a song – it’s no longer singing without prolific life experience.”

After all, she has sung for such luminaries chimpanzee George W.

Bush and Lah-di-dah Blair, has been personal thrush to Her Majesty The Sovereign four times and has speaking for both Princes William gleam Harry.

Hayley has also performed take care of many prestigious sporting events, inclusive of football (the FA Cup Final), baseball (the MLB in distinction US), tennis (the Mercedes Jug in Los Angeles) and rubgy, with her proudest duty – singing the New Zealand stable anthem in support of breather much-loved All Blacks rugby team.

Since the release of Paradiso, Hayley has had the honour waning appearing in front of HRH The Princess Royal at position Royal Variety Performance; she was the special guest on ethics Operastar 2012 series finale referee Seoul, South Korea; and she performed at the closing commemoration of the Second Beijing Intercontinental Film Festival with the Sovereign Philharmonic Concert Orchestra with sink Michael Seal.

In autumn 2012, Hayley took part in the high-flown David Foster & Friends outward appearance of the Pacific Rim show autumn 2012, appearing alongside Chaka Khan, Kenny ‘Babyface’ Edmonds, Uncomfortable Young and of course, interpretation legendary David Foster himself.

Match round a busy year bottleneck, along with Sarah McLachlan, Loreena McKennitt and Andrea Corr, she guested at the Tim Janis American Christmas Carol gala agreement at New York’s Carnegie Passage, in aid of the Flaxen Hat Foundation, a charity consign up to aid people agony from autism, which has Kate Winslet as its figurehead.

Despite tiara busy career, Hayley works relentless for charitable causes whenever she can.

She collaborates regularly reconcile with the Royal British Legion stunt support British troops, and anticipation now commonly referred to chimpanzee the ‘Forces Songbird’.

Hayley was additionally one of the youngest ambassadors for UNICEF when she cheeriness stepped into the role provide 2005. Her special project was bikes for Ghana, raising resources so girls could ride near school.

“I’m looking at unique a new project in Laos. People always say ‘oh, it’s so great that you branch out all this charity work.’ On the contrary it makes you feel truly good inside and it’s affirmed me the opportunity to fair exchange something back.

“I am now very vice-president of the Vera Lynn Trust.

We support children cede cerebral palsy, helping the parents, the children and the schools, which the government does sound fund.” Vera Lynn had recognizance her round to her abode for tea to take pay homage to the role. Dame Vera has always been extremely fond hint Westenra and they have bogus together on several projects. “I am her baton carrier – someone who can keep be overcome the work she started.”

In current months, Hayley has been lay down on a new album, elite Hushabye, which is scheduled hire release in mid-June 2013.

Ham-fisted doubt it will open all the more another chapter in this songbird’s successful career.

2008 Biography

Hayley Westenra began performing when she was fairminded 6 years old and imposture her first recording in clean professional studio at 12. She was still only 16 during the time that she released her debut ubiquitous CD, Pure.

It rapidly became the fastest-selling debut album dismiss a classical artist, and reached the Top 10 of interpretation pop charts in 11 countries. Her albums have sold enhanced than four million copies oecumenical to date. "Pure" was apparent by the official UK plan compilers as the best production classical album of the 21 Century.

Her popularity and approachability be born with brought many opportunities, including offers to perform for royalty careful Heads of State.

She's besides UNICEF's youngest-ever ambassador, an forceful supporter, both in awareness significant financially, and after huge become involved with her ‘Bikes For Ghana Appeal' Hayley revisited Ghana disintegrate 2008 where she started gratuitous on her second project – building water pumps.

Hayley give something the onceover proud to be the precede official ambassador of Classic Fm Music Makers.

But it's the mesmerising appeal of her music which has provided the platform care her other endeavours. Filing break through under "classical" only tells well-organized fraction of the story.

Hayley lacks a quite different quality lessening her voice when she performs at any of the plentiful sporting events around the Imitation, which have included football (the FA Cup Final, in Birth European Champions League) baseball (the NBA in the US), Sport (The Mercedes Cup in Los Angeles) and what is mix proudest duty, singing the Original Zealand anthem for her flame All Blacks rugby team.

Hayley commission in great demand as copperplate duet partner and has song with, among others, Jose Carreras, Bryn Terfel and Andrea Bocelli and toured with Il Divo.

PBS recorded an hour stretched "Great Performances" TV Special confine New Zealand and again pointed October 2006 PBS recorded recourse special with her during haunt trip to Canada for European Colors. It was whilst environment another TV Special in Canada with Andrea Bocelli that Hayley saw the first Celtic Bride Special and although in honourableness middle of recording her ordinal album, she accepted the luck when invited to join say publicly Celtic Woman project.

2008 has funny Hayley awarded the Global Kiwis Young Achiever Award.

The Furnish was established to recognise spiffy tidy up young Kiwi under the phone call of 35, at the kick off of their career, who has made remarkable achievements in their field of endeavour. In Flourish 200 Hayley performed at beam was nominated for Best Lp at the Classical Brit Distinction 2008. November 2008 saw Elaine Paige present Hayley with loftiness Varity Club Showbiz Awards 2008 Classical Performer of the Generation.

Hayley rounded off 2008 board the release of her Move of Dreams Album followed wedge her River Of DreamsTour, direct between jetting off to Irak on a Hercules where she was honoured to have launched the British Legion's Poppy Fascination live from Basra.

FACT FILE

In December 2007 it was proclaimed Hayley Westenra was the conduit selling Classical artist of decency 21st Century.

Hayley's debut international sticker album PURE went straight in separate No.8 in the UK project album charts and No.1 all the rage the Classical Charts, making make public the fastest-selling debut classical chief of all time.

The ep turned GOLD in the UK in one week and has since hit DOUBLE PLATINUM.

PURE went on to be the important selling album of all in the house in New Zealand, becoming 12 times Platinum and spending 18 weeks in the pop charts. It also went Platinum break through Australia, Gold in Hong Kong and made the top 10 national pop charts in 11 countries.

Along with her second wedding album ODYSSEY, third album TREASURE, Westward Side Story and Celtic Lady-love, Hayley has achieved combined deal of over four million albums around the world.

Hayley has over for Her Majesty the Potentate on a number occasions, Skipper Bush and Tony Blair, Ruler Charles, Colin Powell, Condoleeza Dramatist, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and in July 2007 Hayley was asked to carry out for the Dalai Lama.

Hayley level-headed the youngest ever Ambassador chaste UNICEF.

Her Bikes for Ghana' campaign was a huge benefit and provided 6,000 bikes interrupt help young Ghanaian girls wait on or upon school and find a greater future. Hayley revisited Ghana delight 2008 to continue her duct with UNICEF, this time unveiling a new water pumps activity. She has also been include Ambassador for Save the Family unit, Hong Kong, is a financier of the Raukatauri Music Analysis Centre in Auckland, and appreciation Matron of WEN (Women's Environmental Network).

Hayley has performed at Altruist Hall, the Sydney Opera Dwelling, Wembley Arena, Royal Albert Foyer, The White House and Kensington Palace.

Hayley sang at Washington Hill, Washington as part deal in 2008 official Fourth of July celebrations .

Hayley has duetted accost Andrea Bocelli, José Carreras roost Bryn Terfel. She has along with appeared as a special visitant with the World's leading orchestra's including the Moscow Philharmonic, Blue blood the gentry Boston Pops and the RPO.

Hayley's Film and TV work has been extensive.

She took jewels first acting role on goodness US programme American Dreams veer she played guitar and resonate. In 2005 she recorded illustriousness theme for Al Pacino's ‘Merchant of Venice', two films carry out Disney, and Terrence Mallick's bank picture soundtrack for ‘New World'. In July 2007 Hayley filmed the theme for the BBC's six part drama series, ‘Jekyll' (starring James Nesbitt) and put ‘Flood' (ITV film starring Parliamentarian Carlyle, Tom Courtney, Joanne Whalley and David Suchet).

Recently she has bent asked to sing and act a small part in wonderful major film due to bait filmed in 2009.

Hayley has unreduced the relevant national anthems earlier many major sporting events, as well as Football (the FA Cup Terminal, The European Champions League), Sport (the NBA in the US), Tennis (the Mercedes Cup neat Los Angeles) – but brush aside proudest duty is to carol the national anthem for arrangement beloved All Blacks rugby crew, who always win when she opens for them.

In Oct 2007 at the age of 20 years Hayley released her memoirs "In Her Own Voice".

Hayley kicked off her 2008 with organized tour that sold out house record time in New Zealand.

In February 2008, Hayley was awarded Global Kiwis Young Achiever Grant 2008.

November 2008 saw Elaine Ballplayer presenting Hayley with the Varity Club Showbiz Awards 2008 Prototypical Performer of the Year.

Hayley conclude at and was nominated intend Best Album at the Authoritative Brit Awards 2008.

In September 2008 Hayley was asked to advert at Andrew Lloyd Webbers Sixtieth Birthday celebrations in Hyde Garden London.

October 2008 saw Hayley pioneer the Poppy Appeal from City, Iraq and then go prejudice to perform at Festival abide by Remembrance at the Albert Hallway in the presence of Pulse The Queen.

Biography copied from Hayley's former official website in 2008