Within five years of her arrival in London, Kiri took the opera world by storm. Her international success began with her debut in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in 1971. Since then she has sung many of opera’s finest arias to
great acclaim.

In 1983 Kiri sang the title role in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut at Covent Garden. The costume for this role is a perfect example of period opera dress. Kiri says, ‘As a singer, I love the eighteenth century. What soprano wouldn’t? I admire the elegance and the grand style of the era. I could lose myself in those costumes. You go into a fantasy world for a while, but the reality sets in when you’ve got to start singing.’

Top Photo: Kiri wearing the Manon Lescaut dress, 1983. Photograph by Nancy LeVine
Bottom photo: La Traviata design sketch by Michael Stennett, 1978