Aotea Centre's ASB Theatre to be Renamed in Honour of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa

On 20 November this year, Aotea Centre's ASB Theatre will be renamed Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, with a gala concert to commemorate the occasion and acknowledge Dame Kiri's formidable talent and contribution to the arts.

As the guest of honour, the concert will include some of Dame Kiri's operatic favourites and feature the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by music director Giordano Bellincampi, together with the Freemasons New Zealand Opera Chorus.

ASB Bank has held the naming rights to the theatre since the venue first opened in 1990. Working in partnership with Regional Facilities Auckland (RFA) and the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation, the bank's decision to relinquish these rights makes this tribute possible.

This will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, celebrating one of the world's greatest sopranos, and tickets will be limited.

The full gala concert programme and line-up of artists will be announced on Tuesday 3 September. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday 6 September.