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Let's hear it for Hayley Westenra

As a role model for young girls, New Zealand's 18-year-old Hayley Westenra is setting a good example

Date published: 2/3/2006

By MICHAEL ZITZ

In an era in which parents decry foul-mouthed, drug-using, overtly sexual celebrities as role models for their children, Hayley Westenra stands out like a shining jewel in a barrel of rotten fruit.

Westenra, an 18-year-old singing sensation from New Zealand, is a throwback to a gentler, kinder, more refined era. But at the same time, the "popera" star is a normal teen to whom today's kids can relate.

Westenra, who opens for Il Divo tonight at 7 at Constitution Hall in Washington, is bright, personable and likable, in addition to being gifted.

Her career began at age 14, and she's already performed in front of the queen of England, President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. She's one of the youngest artists to perform at Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, Royal Albert Hall and Wembley Arena. She is also one of the youngest ambassadors for UNICEF.

"It can be kind of overwhelming" for a teenager, she admitted.

Her debut album, "Pure," has sold 2 million copies around the world, and her sophomore release, "Odyssey," which came out in October, seems poised to do even better.

During a Wednesday telephone interview with The Free Lance-Star, Westenra said she knew she wanted to be a singer when she was 11 and heard Celine Dion singing "My Heart Will Go On" on the radio.

"She poured her heart and soul into that song," Westenra said.

She started getting involved in school musicals, and her gifts as a vocalist were immediately evident.

"I definitely had my heart set on singing, but I didn't know what form it would take--what style," she said.

She crosses genre lines, performing classical songs in a way that can move grown men to tears, and pop songs in a way that can connect emotionally with girls her own age.

The New York Times has said she has "the voice of an angel."

"Odyssey," on the Decca Records label, features a startling rendition of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now," along with a duet, "Dell'amore non sis a," with classical icon Andrea Bocelli.

"I find singing really kind of completes me," she said. "I find it very fulfilling."

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Date published: 2/3/2006