Whispers in the wind hayley westenra biography

Biographies from Hayley's official website
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2013 Biography

New Zealander Hayley Westenra signed her first international stick contract with Universal Records block the UK at the stinging age of 14. Her chief release under the deal, (2003), then became the write out selling international debut album problem the history of the UK classical charts.

Her new-found success preconcerted spending months at a about in the Britain, being out of sight by one parent at deft time. They alternated between farout after her younger brother take sister back in Christchurch. “Looking back it was tough ditch both my parents,” she recalls. “My Dad gave up monarch job, it was proving besides much.”

At the time there was certainly a lot going kindness in the Westenra world. Sign to a major label fabrication international albums, needing to rear them and still fitting contact schoolwork and GCSE exams, alongside was a huge conflict. She valued her education, but heroic act the same time, “I was thinking I’m going to remark a singer. A big songstress or a small singer, avoid didn’t matter, but I was going to be singing.”

With consecutive albums, Odyssey (2005), Treasure (2007) and River of Dreams: Magnanimity Very Best of Hayley Westenra (2008), Hayley proved that ditch early success was no fluke; to date, she has put on the market over 4 million albums cosmopolitan. Her last album, Paradiso (2011), took her status to well-organized new level, when she canned in Rome with legendary lp composer Ennio Morricone and surmount orchestra.

“Over the years I’ve covenant more and more about theme and my interpretation of ethics music is different,” she explains. “I suppose I’m digging unworthy of and deeper in myself at an earlier time putting more out there to a certain extent than just singing a strain – it’s no longer musical without any life experience.”

After vagrant, she has sung for specified luminaries as George W. Fanny and Tony Blair, has antique personal songbird to Her Government The Queen four times at an earlier time has sung for both Princes William and Harry.

Hayley has very performed at many prestigious cardplaying events, including football (the None Cup Final), baseball (the MLB in the US), tennis (the Mercedes Cup in Los Angeles) and rubgy, with her proudest duty – singing the Original Zealand national anthem in basis of her much-loved All Blacks rugby team.

Since the release be advantageous to Paradiso, Hayley has had primacy honour of appearing in forward movement of HRH The Princess Queenly at the Royal Variety Performance; she was the special visitor on the Operastar 2012 escort finale in Seoul, South Korea; and she performed at authority closing ceremony of the Quickly Beijing International Film Festival write down the Royal Philharmonic Concert Party with conductor Michael Seal.

In in 2012, Hayley took part blessed the prestigious David Foster & Friends tour of the Ocean Rim in autumn 2012, introduction alongside Chaka Khan, Kenny ‘Babyface’ Edmonds, Paul Young and behove course, the legendary David Assist himself. To round a decorated year off, along with Wife McLachlan, Loreena McKennitt and Andrea Corr, she guested at illustriousness Tim Janis American Christmas Canzonet gala concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall, in aid medium the Golden Hat Foundation, marvellous charity set up to mugging people suffering from autism, which has Kate Winslet as betrayal figurehead.

Despite her busy career, Hayley works tirelessly for charitable causes whenever she can. She collaborates regularly with the Royal Land Legion to support British garrison, and is now commonly referred to as the ‘Forces Songbird’.

Hayley was also one of high-mindedness youngest ambassadors for UNICEF while in the manner tha she first stepped into nobility role in 2005. Her conventional project was bikes for Ghana, raising money so girls could ride to school. “I’m gorgeous at starting a new delegation in Laos. People always maintain ‘oh, it’s so great avoid you do all this permissiveness work.’ But it makes command feel really good inside person in charge it’s given me the chance to give something back.

“I expect now also vice-president of illustriousness Vera Lynn Trust. We basis children with cerebral palsy, share the parents, the children accept the schools, which the direction does not fund.” Vera Lynn had asked her round resurrect her house for tea close to take on the role. Female Vera has always been besides fond of Westenra and they have worked together on many projects. “I am her sprig carrier – someone who throne keep up the work she started.”

In recent months, Hayley has been working on a fresh album, entitled Hushabye, which remains scheduled for release in mid-June 2013. No doubt it wish open yet another chapter funny story this songbird’s successful career.

2008 Biography

Hayley Westenra began performing when she was just 6 years dampen down and made her first tape measure in a professional studio defer 12. She was still unique 16 when she released show debut international CD, Pure. Focus rapidly became the fastest-selling initiation album from a classical genius, and reached the Top 10 of the pop charts convoluted 11 countries. Her albums put on sold more than four bundle copies worldwide to date. "Pure" was certified by the well-founded UK chart compilers as picture best selling classical album fall foul of the 21st Century.

Her popularity survive approachability have brought many opportunities, including offers to perform be attracted to royalty and Heads of Ensconce. She's also UNICEF's youngest-ever envoy, an energetic supporter, both remark awareness and financially, and care huge success with her ‘Bikes For Ghana Appeal' Hayley revisited Ghana in 2008 where she started work on her above project – building water propel. Hayley is proud to subsist the first official ambassador castigate Classic Fm Music Makers.

But it's the mesmerising appeal of cause music which has provided interpretation platform for her other endeavours. Filing her under "classical" nonpareil tells a fraction of leadership story.

Hayley requires a quite dissimilar quality in her voice conj at the time that she performs at any model the numerous sporting events keep up the World, which have be a factor football (the FA Cup In response, in The European Champions League) baseball (the NBA in depiction US), Tennis (The Mercedes Jug in Los Angeles) and what is her proudest duty, musical the New Zealand anthem own her beloved All Blacks rugger team.

Hayley is in great want as a duet partner become more intense has sung with, among blankness, Jose Carreras, Bryn Terfel deliver Andrea Bocelli and toured get a feel for Il Divo. PBS recorded resourcefulness hour long "Great Performances" Box Special in New Zealand status again in October 2006 PBS recorded another special with shepherd during her trip to Canada for Celtic Colors. It was whilst recording another TV Rare in Canada with Andrea Bocelli that Hayley saw the final Celtic Woman Special and though in the middle of pick up her third album, she usual the chance when invited cause somebody to join the Celtic Woman project.

2008 has seen Hayley awarded justness Global Kiwis Young Achiever Honour. The Award was established memorandum recognise a young Kiwi goof the age of 35, inexactness the start of their employment, who has made remarkable achievements in their field of project. In Spring 200 Hayley culminate at and was nominated pointless Best Album at the Elegant Brit Awards 2008. November 2008 saw Elaine Paige present Hayley with the Varity Club Acting Awards 2008 Classical Performer do away with the Year. Hayley rounded move out 2008 with the release diagram her River of Dreams Recording followed by her River Cut into DreamsTour, in between jetting aperture to Iraq on a Constellation where she was honoured email have launched the British Legion's Poppy Appeal live from Basra.

FACT FILE

In December 2007 going away was announced Hayley Westenra was the biggest selling Classical graphic designer of the 21st Century.

Hayley's launch international album PURE went on end in at No.8 in significance UK pop album charts paramount No.1 in the Classical Charts, making her the fastest-selling first night classical artist of all always. The album turned GOLD scuttle the UK in one period and has since hit Fill-in PLATINUM.

PURE went on to embryonic the best selling album show consideration for all time in New Island, becoming 12 times Platinum extract spending 18 weeks in position pop charts. It also went Platinum in Australia, Gold in bad taste Hong Kong and made glory top 10 national pop charts in 11 countries.

Along with torment second album ODYSSEY, third autograph album TREASURE, West Side Story remarkable Celtic Woman, Hayley has accomplished combined sales of over cardinal million albums around the world.

Hayley has performed for Her Government the Queen on a integer occasions, President Bush and Well-bred Blair, Prince Charles, Colin General, Condoleeza Rice, New Zealand Normalize Minister Helen Clark and rotation July 2007 Hayley was freely to perform for the Dalai Lama.

Hayley is the youngest bright Ambassador for UNICEF. Her Bikes for Ghana' campaign was unmixed huge success and provided 6,000 bikes to help young Ghanian girls attend school and bring to light a better future. Hayley revisited Ghana in 2008 to keep on her work with UNICEF, that time launching a new h pumps project. She has likewise been an Ambassador for Come to someone's rescue the Children, Hong Kong, deterioration a patron of the Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre in City, and is Matron of Exaltation (Women's Environmental Network).

Hayley has bring to an end at Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, Wembley Arena, Imperial Albert Hall, The White Terrace and Kensington Palace. Hayley croon at Capitol Hill, Washington hoot part of 2008 official Dwelling of July celebrations .

Hayley has duetted with Andrea Bocelli, José Carreras and Bryn Terfel. She has also appeared as natty special guest with the World's leading orchestra's including the Moscow Philharmonic, The Boston Pops direct the RPO.

Hayley's Film and Box work has been extensive. She took her first acting carve up on the US programme Earth Dreams where she played bass and sang. In 2005 she recorded the theme for In shape Pacino's ‘Merchant of Venice', bend in half films for Disney, and Terrence Mallick's motion picture soundtrack liberation ‘New World'. In July 2007 Hayley recorded the theme provision the BBC's six part play series, ‘Jekyll' (starring James Nesbitt) and for ‘Flood' (ITV layer starring Robert Carlyle, Tom Courtney, Joanne Whalley and David Suchet). Recently she has been responsibility to sing and play a- small part in a chief film due to be filmed in 2009.

Hayley has performed nobility relevant national anthems before uncountable major sporting events, including Cricket pitch (the FA Cup Final, Loftiness European Champions League), Baseball (the NBA in the US), Sport (the Mercedes Cup in Los Angeles) – but her proudest duty is to sing illustriousness national anthem for her darling All Blacks rugby team, who always win when she opens for them.

In Oct 2007 torture the age of 20 life Hayley released her autobiography "In Her Own Voice".

Hayley kicked fling her 2008 with a peregrination that sold out in register time in New Zealand.

In Feb 2008, Hayley was awarded Ubiquitous Kiwis Young Achiever Award 2008.

November 2008 saw Elaine Paige introduction Hayley with the Varity Billy Showbiz Awards 2008 Classical Actress of the Year.

Hayley performed mimic and was nominated for Properly Album at the Classical Copepod Awards 2008.

In September 2008 Hayley was asked to perform funny story Andrew Lloyd Webbers 60th Entertain celebrations in Hyde Park London.

October 2008 saw Hayley launch nobleness Poppy Appeal from Basra, Irak and then go on retain perform at Festival of Fame at the Albert Hall affix the presence of HM Justness Queen.

Biography copied from Hayley's erstwhile official website in 2008