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CALGARY/CNW/ - Alberta native Anna Maria Kaufmann is a
mega-star in Germany, but she hasn't forgotten her Canadian
roots in Alberta. She's coming home to hit some high notes with
Canada's Olympic Torch Relay running with the flame through
Calgary on Jan. 19.
Kaufmann, Germany's most popular soprano, comes from Lacombe,
Alberta, and is an international torchbearer with the Vancouver
2010 Olympic Torch Relay, presented by Coca-Cola and RBC and
supported by the Government of Canada.
"It is a great honor and thrill to participate in the Olympic
Torch Relay," says Kaufmann. "I am proud to be from Canada and
honored to be a part of this incredible event. Carrying the
flame in the relay and passing it on to continue its journey on
to Vancouver is something I will never forget. Running in
Alberta, where I was raised will be even more special because I
will have my family there to watch and cheer me on."
The opera singer's big break came as the female lead in Phantom
of the Opera, which she performed more than 500 times. Kaufmann
earned a triple platinum CD for sales of more than 1.9 million
of the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack. She has performed with
operas and orchestras around the world but has also lent her
talent to honour great sporting events, singing the national
anthem for a global audience of one billion during the 2006
World Cup in Germany.
"We're so excited that Anna Maria Kaufmann is coming home to
Alberta to be a part of our Olympic story," says Michele
McKenzie, Canadian Tourism Commission president and CEO. "No
doubt her fans in Germany and around the world will be watching
as she takes up the flame in Calgary, making her hometown
friends in Lacombe very proud."
Before her torch run, Kaufmann will enjoy spectacular tourism
experiences in her home province, including the Ice on Whyte ice
carving festival in Edmonton, a sleigh ride in Banff and
exploring the Olympic Oval in Calgary.
The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and
Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), in collaboration with the
Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC), has selected international
torchbearers to participate in the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay
International Media Program to maximize international media
coverage of the relay and spread the excitement and Olympic
spirit around the world.
The international torchbearers are from CTC's global markets and
include former Olympic athletes as well as entertainers and
media celebrities. Their journeys through Canada will be
broadcast and shared in their home countries during both the
Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay and the 2010 Winter Games,
all to inspire the world to travel to Canada.
About the CTC
The CTC is Canada's national tourism marketing organization. Our
vision is inspiring the world to explore Canada. With our
partners in the tourism industry and the governments of Canada,
the provinces and the territories, we advertise and market
Canada in 12 countries around the world, conduct industry
research and studies, and promote product and industry
development. For daily updates on CTC initiatives, subscribe to
CTC News, available through RSS feeds and by e-mail.
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