Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, a light lyric soprano and a living legend in the classical music world, swept on stage Thursday night for her first concert in Hawaii dressed in a brilliantly white, billowing coat over a slim black-and-white dress, jewels aglitter at collar and cuffs.

The audience greeted her with an ovation lasting several minutes.

For the next two hours, Te Kanawa mesmerized the audience with everything from arias and art songs to folk songs. She started with Italian (Scarlatti, Vivaldi, Handel and Mozart) and moved through French (Hahn and Liszt), Spanish (Granados and Obradors) and English (Heggie, Copland and arrangements of folk songs) before closing with Italian (Puccini).

It would have been helpful if the program had included translations, especially because European languages are less familiar in Hawaii, but few seemed to care. The audience had come to hear Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, whatever she chose to sing.

Te Kanawa has an exquisite voice that was made for Mozart and Puccini, and it is no surprise that she made her reputation first in a Mozart opera.

She has the flexibility for Vivaldi’s "Io son quell glesomino" and the long, arching lines of Handel’s "Care selve," a crystalline tone and phenomenal control. She has shimmering high pianissimos, can roll a note around in her mouth before releasing it, shade phrases and vowels with vocal "colors" and start/stop on a dime or fade slowly into nothingness.

One of the program’s highlights was the Final Monologue from Jake Heggie’s "Master Class" (2007) on a text by Terrence McNally. Sung in English, the monologue is a philosophical rant by an ex-diva — "Do not think singing is an easy life," "If you sing properly and honestly, I will feel repaid" — a rant that ends in a perfunctory, "Well, that’s that," eliciting ripples of laughter.

Te Kanawa noted how apt the piece is for her at this stage of life because she spends so many hours in master classes, teaching young vocalists. At a master class at the University of Hawaii earlier in the week, she talked about her technique and learning to breathe. When she sings, it sounds as easy as exhaling: her placement never wavers, no matter where in her range she’s singing, and her voice rides atop a silent but constant cushion of air — lovely!

Te Kanawa’s voice has changed over the years, as all voices do; she has gained a greater expressive range, control and the ability to choose pieces and manage her voice to best effect — in brief, musical wisdom.

Perhaps most satisfying, Te Kanawa re-creates music as she sings. So many young singers sing as listeners, singing along with their memory of a favorite recording and delivering merely an echo of the original — like reciting instead of speaking. Singing is not remembering, but re-creating anew, and Te Kanawa does it exceptionally well. Every piece sounded brand new, as though she were telling the stories for the first time.

Audiences should take note of accompanist Terence Dennis, who was terrific. He supported and moved in delicate balance with Te Kanawa, the two dancing in tandem through the music like perfectly matched partners.

Dennis was both his own artist and an accommodating partner, playing softly with the piano lid down, adapting to her voice and giving it room to flow while adding delightful touches throughout.

Te Kanawa and Dennis closed with four standing ovations interspersed with three encores, including a touching a cappella adieu. If at all possible, don’t miss this opportunity to hear Te Kanawa and Dennis live. Another performance is scheduled for tonight on Maui.