Hayley Westenra

Hayley Westenra is a New Zealand crossover singer whose repertoire ranges from light classical to pop.

Her singing talent was first noticed by her teachers when she was selected to take the lead role in a school musical, and by the time she was 11 she had performed in over 40 local productions.

At 11 she and her younger siblings began busking (street performing) and requests for recordings of her voice led Hayley's family, with the help of a friend, to produce a small number of albums.

They sent some to record companies, which resulted in her being offered a contract by a local company when she was 13-years-old.

The album was successful in New Zealand and led to her being offered a contract by Decca recordings.

Her first international album "Pure" was a phenomenal success, going straight to the top of the UK classical charts and to number eight in the pop charts.

It was the fastest selling debut classical album of all time and is still the best selling classical album of this century to date.

She has since produced several other albums and is in heavy demand for concerts.