She was excited about taking up the new role and being closer to her children in Taranaki and Auckland.
Dame Malvina said she hoped her property - Waianiwa Homestead - near Hororata and 42km from Christchurch Airport, would be maintained and enjoyed by a new owner.
"It's better to know when to step back than to be told you have passed your use by date."
The restored six-bedroom property, which includes a landscaped garden, library and two studios where Dame Malvina works on her music, is being marketed by Bayleys will be auctioned on February 16.
The site could be adapted to a homestay or lodge or the gardens could be used for weddings and private functions, said Bayleys agent Jeremy Gould.
After winning the New Zealand Mobil Song Quest in 1963, Dame Malvina studied at the London Opera Centre and her international opera career has included several major operatic roles, musical composition and concerts.
She has had a long relationship with the University of Waikato, from whom she received an honorary doctorate in 1994.
Following a holiday break Dame Malvina will be preparing for the upcoming Hamilton Garden Arts Festival and a fundraising concert for the Waikato Breast Cancer Trust.