Born in New Zealand, Te Kanawa moved to the UK where she came to the attention of Sir Colin Davis. The partnership resulted in many excellent recordings, including the Countess in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. Her warm personality, attractive stage presence, and rich, pure voice launched her as a star, and soon she was appearing on the world's great stages. She was a glorious Straussian, whether as the Marschallin (Der Rosenkavalier), Arabella, or the Capriccio countess. She was also one of the few classical artists who could cross over without embarrassment—Maria in Bernstein's West Side Story conducted by the composer changed the game.