Hayley Westenra
Hayley Westenra's new album Odyssey was always going to be a different proposition to Pure, the record-breaking 2003 collection which marked her international debut. A lot has happened to the young New Zealander over the past two or three years — and those changes are clearly reflected by a record which encapsulates her growth from a budding teenage prodigy into a mature young woman.
Pure, made when Westenra was 15, introduced the world to a unique new voice. Poised, angelic and characterised by its breath-taking natural beauty, her voice won the hearts of millions and enabled Pure to reach some notable landmarks. The album, which has sold two million copies to date, topped the UK classical charts and also went Top Ten in the pop equivalent. In her homeland, it is the biggest-selling New Zealand album of all time. In Japan — where Westenra enjoyed a No. 1 single with "Amazing Grace" — she was the most popular classical artist of 2004 and won two Japanese Grammies.
For the young songbird, such success was life-transforming. From being a schoolgirl living at home with her parents and siblings in Christchurch, she was suddenly thrust onto the global stage. She performed in front of presidents, prime ministers and royalty. She duetted with Andrea Bocelli, José Carreras, Bryn Terfel and Russell Watson. She also sung live at many prestigious sporting events in the UK, USA, New Zealand and Australia.
Now, at 18, Westenra is ready to show the world how much she has grown up, both as an artist and as an individual. Fans of Pure will be pleasantly surprised by her new album Odyssey. Her wonderful voice retains its crystal-clear purity, but Westenra's singing is now richer and more rounded than before. Touring the world and singing in some of its greatest concert venues, such as the Sydney Opera House, Royal Albert Hall and Carnegie Hall, has worked wonders for her confidence. Suitably emboldened, she has embraced an even wider range of musical styles including classical, hymns, folk and pop.
"I was happy with Pure at the time, but I've moved on so much," says Westenra. "It's really exciting to have something new out there for people to listen to. I wanted to make a record that represented me as a person. And I think I've improved as a vocalist."
The stunning worldwide success of Pure has done little to dampen Westenra's hunger or enthusiasm. Punctuating her conversation with infectious laughter, she obviously still loves what she does. She also can't wait to put together a tour combining old and new material.
"It's exciting to have songs that are now part of my own repertoire," she says. "It's nice to have a balance between new pieces and tracks that people already know. It would be boring to do a whole album of established songs. It's great to introduce new material to the world."
Variety is certainly one of the keywords with Westenra's new album. When she first entered a recording studio in New Zealand as a 12 year-old, Westenra restricted herself to classical pieces and show tunes. Now, in addition to impressive takes on classical works, Westenra uses her new album to perform an inspired cover of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" and has arranged and written much of the material. "I like to push myself, and I'm now confident enough to try different things. I have been much more involved behind the scenes with this album — I wanted to put my individual stamp on each song."
While Westenra has spent the past few years adding more strings to her bow, the various sonic strands are all unified once more by her distinctive vocal timbre and Giles Martin's sympathetic production. And, whether she's backed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra or accompanied solely by Robbie McIntosh's acoustic guitar, Westenra always sounds perfectly natural: hers remains an intuitive talent, one that can't be coached.
"This album just evolved," she continues. "The material came from all over the place, but I deliberately chose songs that I could adapt to my own strengths. Adding strings, developing vocal theme, or actually simplifying an arrangement can produce a fresh take on well known songs."
Whatever the genre, I try to focus on the lyrics and immerse myself in the music. When I was recording 'May It Be,' a song from The Lord Of The Rings, I pictured the New Zealand landscape around me to help me create the right atmosphere whilst singing."
Odyssey is Westenra’s second international release. It is also, remarkably, her fifth collection overall. Having first been told that she had perfect pitch when she starred in a school play at six, the singer spent her childhood immersing herself in music and theater. She studied violin, piano and ballet and had appeared in 40 amateur stage musicals in Christchurch by the time she was eleven.
Encouraged by her parents, Gerald and Jill Westenra, Westenra also busked locally with her two talented younger siblings, Sophie and Isaac. She recorded some of her favorite songs in a professional studio for the first time, at the age of 12, purely "as a memento."
"There wasn't a particular point where I realised that I could sing," says Westenra. "But, from about the age of eight, I knew that I wanted to be on the stage. My grandmother was a singer. My grandfather played the piano and piano-accordion. A lot of my fondness for music came from them, and no doubt from their Welsh and Irish ancestry, too. When I reached 12, I finally knew I wanted to be a singer."
Despite the subsequent conquests of the world's charts, however, Westenra is still very down to earth. Beneath her artistic gifts, she is a relatively normal teenager, albeit one who is developing into a beautiful young woman. "I find it easy to keep my feet on the ground," she reflects. "I'm excited by everything that's going on, but it's only a couple of years ago that I was still going into school every day."
With her career stretching out promisingly before her, Hayley Westenra is also keen to continue experimenting. She is still primarily a classical crossover artist but she also wants to keep broadening those musical horizons. Three years after her international debut CD, Hayley Westenra is still pure: she exudes pure quality and she remains pure class – but her musical journey continues with her new album Odyssey.
Pure, made when Westenra was 15, introduced the world to a unique new voice. Poised, angelic and characterised by its breath-taking natural beauty, her voice won the hearts of millions and enabled Pure to reach some notable landmarks. The album, which has sold two million copies to date, topped the UK classical charts and also went Top Ten in the pop equivalent. In her homeland, it is the biggest-selling New Zealand album of all time. In Japan — where Westenra enjoyed a No. 1 single with "Amazing Grace" — she was the most popular classical artist of 2004 and won two Japanese Grammies.
For the young songbird, such success was life-transforming. From being a schoolgirl living at home with her parents and siblings in Christchurch, she was suddenly thrust onto the global stage. She performed in front of presidents, prime ministers and royalty. She duetted with Andrea Bocelli, José Carreras, Bryn Terfel and Russell Watson. She also sung live at many prestigious sporting events in the UK, USA, New Zealand and Australia.
Now, at 18, Westenra is ready to show the world how much she has grown up, both as an artist and as an individual. Fans of Pure will be pleasantly surprised by her new album Odyssey. Her wonderful voice retains its crystal-clear purity, but Westenra's singing is now richer and more rounded than before. Touring the world and singing in some of its greatest concert venues, such as the Sydney Opera House, Royal Albert Hall and Carnegie Hall, has worked wonders for her confidence. Suitably emboldened, she has embraced an even wider range of musical styles including classical, hymns, folk and pop.
"I was happy with Pure at the time, but I've moved on so much," says Westenra. "It's really exciting to have something new out there for people to listen to. I wanted to make a record that represented me as a person. And I think I've improved as a vocalist."
The stunning worldwide success of Pure has done little to dampen Westenra's hunger or enthusiasm. Punctuating her conversation with infectious laughter, she obviously still loves what she does. She also can't wait to put together a tour combining old and new material.
"It's exciting to have songs that are now part of my own repertoire," she says. "It's nice to have a balance between new pieces and tracks that people already know. It would be boring to do a whole album of established songs. It's great to introduce new material to the world."
Variety is certainly one of the keywords with Westenra's new album. When she first entered a recording studio in New Zealand as a 12 year-old, Westenra restricted herself to classical pieces and show tunes. Now, in addition to impressive takes on classical works, Westenra uses her new album to perform an inspired cover of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" and has arranged and written much of the material. "I like to push myself, and I'm now confident enough to try different things. I have been much more involved behind the scenes with this album — I wanted to put my individual stamp on each song."
While Westenra has spent the past few years adding more strings to her bow, the various sonic strands are all unified once more by her distinctive vocal timbre and Giles Martin's sympathetic production. And, whether she's backed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra or accompanied solely by Robbie McIntosh's acoustic guitar, Westenra always sounds perfectly natural: hers remains an intuitive talent, one that can't be coached.
"This album just evolved," she continues. "The material came from all over the place, but I deliberately chose songs that I could adapt to my own strengths. Adding strings, developing vocal theme, or actually simplifying an arrangement can produce a fresh take on well known songs."
Whatever the genre, I try to focus on the lyrics and immerse myself in the music. When I was recording 'May It Be,' a song from The Lord Of The Rings, I pictured the New Zealand landscape around me to help me create the right atmosphere whilst singing."
Odyssey is Westenra’s second international release. It is also, remarkably, her fifth collection overall. Having first been told that she had perfect pitch when she starred in a school play at six, the singer spent her childhood immersing herself in music and theater. She studied violin, piano and ballet and had appeared in 40 amateur stage musicals in Christchurch by the time she was eleven.
Encouraged by her parents, Gerald and Jill Westenra, Westenra also busked locally with her two talented younger siblings, Sophie and Isaac. She recorded some of her favorite songs in a professional studio for the first time, at the age of 12, purely "as a memento."
"There wasn't a particular point where I realised that I could sing," says Westenra. "But, from about the age of eight, I knew that I wanted to be on the stage. My grandmother was a singer. My grandfather played the piano and piano-accordion. A lot of my fondness for music came from them, and no doubt from their Welsh and Irish ancestry, too. When I reached 12, I finally knew I wanted to be a singer."
Despite the subsequent conquests of the world's charts, however, Westenra is still very down to earth. Beneath her artistic gifts, she is a relatively normal teenager, albeit one who is developing into a beautiful young woman. "I find it easy to keep my feet on the ground," she reflects. "I'm excited by everything that's going on, but it's only a couple of years ago that I was still going into school every day."
With her career stretching out promisingly before her, Hayley Westenra is also keen to continue experimenting. She is still primarily a classical crossover artist but she also wants to keep broadening those musical horizons. Three years after her international debut CD, Hayley Westenra is still pure: she exudes pure quality and she remains pure class – but her musical journey continues with her new album Odyssey.
