A mezzo-soprano (/ˈmɛtsoʊ/; [ˈmɛddzo]; meaning "medium" or "middle" "soprano" in Italian) is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above (i.e. A₃-A₅ in scientific pitch notation, where middle C = C₄). In the lower and upper extremes, some mezzo-sopranos may extend down to the G below middle C (G₃) and as high as "high C" (C₆).^[1]

While mezzo-sopranos generally have a heavier, darker tone than sopranos, the mezzo-soprano voice resonates in a higher range than that of a contralto. The terms Dugazon and Galli-Marié are sometimes used to refer to light mezzo-sopranos, after the names of famous singers. A castrato with a vocal range equivalent to a mezzo-soprano's range is referred to as a mezzo-soprano castrato or mezzista. Today, however, only women should be referred to as mezzo-sopranos; men singing within the female range are called countertenors.^[2] In current operatic practice, female singers with very low tessituras are often included among mezzo-sopranos, because singers in both ranges are able to cover the other, and true operatic contraltos are very rare.^[1] For information regarding non-classical mezzo-sopranos see Voice classification in non-classical music.

Mezzo-sopranos typically sing secondary roles in operas; notable exceptions include the title role in Bizet's Carmen, Angelina (Cinderella) in Rossini's La Cenerentola, and Rosina in Rossini's Barber of Seville (all of which are also sung by sopranos). Typical roles for mezzo-sopranos include the stereotypical triad associated with contraltos of "witches, bitches, and britches":^[3] witches, nurses, and wise women, such as Azucena in Verdi's Il trovatore; villains and seductresses such as Amneris in Verdi's Aida; and "trouser" characters (male characters played by female singers) such as Cherubino in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro. Mezzo-sopranos are also well represented in baroque music, early music and baroque opera.^[1] However, there is a significant tradition in French-language operas of the 19th Century to give the leading female role to mezzos, as for example in Béatrice et Bénédict, La Damnation de Faust, Don Quichotte, La Favorite, Mignon, Samson et Dalila, Les Troyens, and Werther as well as Carmen.

Some roles designated for lighter soubrette sopranos are sung by mezzo sopranos, who often provide a fuller, more dramatic quality. Such roles include Despina in Mozart's Così fan tutte and Zerlina in his Don Giovanni.^[4] Mezzos also sometimes play dramatic soprano roles such as Santuzza in Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana, Lady Macbeth in Verdi's Macbeth, and Kundry in Wagner's Parsifal.^[5]

In general mezzos are broken down into three categories: Coloratura mezzo-sopranos, Lyric mezzo-soprano, and Dramatic mezzo-sopranos.

Coloratura mezzo-soprano[link]

A coloratura mezzo-soprano has a warm lower register and an agile high register. The roles they sing often demand not only the use of the lower register but also leaps into the upper tessitura with highly ornamented, rapid passages. They have a range from approximately the G below middle C (G3) to the B two octaves above middle C (B5). Some coloratura mezzo-sopranos can sing up to high C (C6) or high D (D6), but this is very rare.^[1] What distinguishes these voices from being called sopranos is their extension into the lower register and warmer vocal quality. Although coloratura mezzo-sopranos have impressive and at times thrilling high notes, they are most comfortable singing in the middle of their range, rather than the top.^[5]

Many of the hero roles in the operas of Handel and Monteverdi, originally sung by male castrati, can be successfully sung today by coloratura mezzo-sopranos. Rossini demanded similar qualities for his comic heroines, and Vivaldi wrote roles frequently for this voice as well. Coloratura mezzo-sopranos also often sing lyric-mezzo soprano roles or soubrette roles.^[4]

[edit] Coloratura mezzo-soprano roles in opera and operettas^[5]

Joyce DiDonato (born February 13, 1969) is an award-winning American operatic mezzo-soprano particularly admired for her interpretations of the works of Handel, Mozart, and Rossini. DiDonato has performed with many of the world's leading opera companies and orchestras. In 2012 she won a Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Solo.

Early life and education[link]

Joyce DiDonato was born Joyce Flaherty in Prairie Village, Kansas in 1969, the sixth of seven children in a close-knit Irish-American family. She sang in choir and musicals in high school and dreamed of becoming a Broadway star or pop singer.^[1] DiDonato entered Wichita State University (WSU) in the autumn of 1988 where she studied vocal music education. She was initially more interested in teaching high school vocal music and musical theatre and did not become interested in opera until her junior year, when she was cast in a school production of Die Fledermaus.^[2] After graduating from WSU in the spring of 1992, DiDonato decided to pursue graduate studies in vocal performance at the Academy of Vocal Arts.^[3] Following her studies in Philadelphia, she was accepted in Santa Fe Opera's young artist program in 1995. While there she appeared in several minor roles and understudied for larger parts in such operas as Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, Richard Strauss' Salome, Kálmán's Gräfin Mariza and the 1994 world premiere of David Lang's Modern Painters. DiDonato was honored as the Outstanding Apprentice Artist by the Santa Fe Opera that year. In 1996 she became a part of Houston Grand Opera's young artist program where she sang from the autumn of 1996 to the spring of 1998. During the summer of 1997, DiDonato participated in San Francisco Opera's Merola Program.^[4]

During her apprentice years, DiDonato competed in several notable vocal competitions. In 1996 she won second prize in the Eleanor McCollum Competition and was a district winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. In 1997 she won a William Matheus Sullivan Award. In 1998 she won second prize in the Operalia Competition, first place in the Stewart Awards, won the George London Competition, and a received a Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Shoshana Foundation.^[5]

Career[link]

DiDonato began her professional career in the 1998/1999 season singing with several regional opera companies in the United States. She most notably appeared as the main heroine, Maslova, in the world premiere of Tod Machover's Resurrection with the Houston Grand Opera.^[6] She gave a recital in San Francisco that year as part of the Schwabacher recital series.

In the 1999/2000 season, DiDonato performed the role of Meg in the world premiere of Mark Adamo's Little Women at Houston Grand Opera with Stephanie Novacek as Jo and Chad Shelton as Laurie. She performed the role of Cherubino in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro with Santa Fe Opera and the role of Isabella in Rossini's L'italiana in Algeri with the New Israeli Opera. In addition, DiDonato gave a recital at New York's Morgan Library under the auspices of the George London Foundation and sang the mezzo-soprano solos in the Seattle Symphony's production of Handel's Messiah.^[7]

In the 2000/2001 season, DiDonato made her debut at La Scala as Angelina in Rossini's La Cenerentola, returned to Houston Grand Opera as Dorabella in Mozart's Così fan tutte, and sang the mezzo-soprano solos in Bach's Mass in B minor with the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris and conductor John Nelson.^[7] In 2000, DiDonato received the ARIA (Awards Recognizing Individual Artistry) award, which annually recognized American "vocal artists of exceptional ability and undeniable promise".^[5]

In the 2001/2002 season DiDonato made her debut with Washington National Opera as Dorabella in Mozart's Così fan tutte, her debut with De Nederlandse Opera as Sesto in Handel's Giulio Cesare, her debut with Opéra National de Paris as Rosina in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia, her debut with Bavarian State Opera as Cherubino in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro under the baton of Zubin Mehta, and returned to Santa Fe Opera to perform the role of Annio in Mozart's La clemenza di Tito. She made several concert appearances including performances of Vivaldi's Gloria with Riccardo Muti and the La Scala Orchestra and Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream with Ensemble Orchestral de Paris. In 2002, DiDonato was given the Richard Tucker Award.^[5]

In the 2002/2003 season, DiDonato made her debut with the New York City Opera as Sister Helen in Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking, her debut with Théâtre du Châtelet in the title role of Rossini's La cenerentola, her debut at Covent Garden as Zlatohrbitek the fox in Janáček's The Cunning Little Vixen under the baton of Sir John Eliot Gardiner, and her debut with the New National Theatre Tokyo as Rosina in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia. She performed the title role in Rossini's Adina at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro and the role of Cherubino in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro with Opéra Bastille. In concert, DiDonato performed Mozart's Requiem with the Seattle Symphony, Berlioz's Les nuits d'été with the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, and made her Carnegie Hall debut in a production of Bach's Mass in B Minor with the Orchestra of St. Luke's under the baton of Peter Schreier. She toured Europe with Marc Minkowski and Les Musiciens du Louvre in performances of Les nuits d'été.^[8] In 2003 DiDonato was the recipient of New York City Opera's Richard Gold Debut Award

In the 2003/2004 season, DiDonato made her debut with the San Francisco Opera as Rosina in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia and reprised the role with Houston Grand Opera. She performed Idamante in Mozart's Idomeneo with De Nederlandse Opera and at the Aix-en-Provence Festival. She sang the role of Ascanio in a concert performance of Berlioz's Benvenuto Cellini with the Orchestre National de France and appeared in solo recitals at the Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Kansas City's Folly Theater, and Wigmore Hall among others. She sang at the Hollywood Bowl in a production of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.^[8]

In the 2004/2005 season, DiDonato made her debut with the Grand Théâtre de Genève as Elisabetta in Donizetti's Maria Stuarda. She returned to La Scala in the role of Angelina in Rossini's La Cenerentola and once again played Rosina in a new production of Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia by Luca Ronconi at the Pesaro Festival and the Teatro Comunale di Bologna.^[7]

In the 2005/2006 season, DiDonato made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro and played Stéphano in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette at the Met. She returned to the Royal Opera House as Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia, sang her first Sesto in Mozart's La clemenza di Tito with Grand Théâtre de Genève, and sang the role of Dejanira in Handel's Hercules at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York and at the Barbican Centre in London with William Christie (musician). In addition, DiDonato appeared in several concerts with the New York Philharmonic and gave a recital at Wigmore Hall in London. She closed the Santa Fe Opera's 50th anniversary season in the title role of Massenet's Cendrillon.^[7] In 2006, DiDonato was given the Royal Philharmonic Society Singer Award.

In the 2006/2007 season, DiDonato debuted at the Teatro Real as the Composer in Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos, returned to the Opéra National de Paris as Idamante in Mozart's Idomeneo, and returned to Houston Grand Opera as Angelina in La Cenerentola. She sang Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Metropolitan Opera and sang her first Octavian in Richard Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier with the San Francisco Opera. She toured the U.S. and Europe on an extensive recital tour with accompianist Julius Drake.^[9] DiDonato won the Metropolitan Opera's Beverly Sills Award in 2007.^[10]

In the 2007/2008 season, DiDonato debuted at the Liceu as Angelina in La Cenerentola and at the Lyric Opera of Chicago as Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia. She sang the title role in Handel's Alcina with Alan Curtis and Il Complesso Barocco and the title role in Handel's Ariodante at the Grand Théâtre de Genève. She sang Roméo in Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi with Opéra Bastille and returned to Madrid's Teatro Real as Idamante in Idomeneo in July 2008. DiDonato also gave recitals at La Scala, Lincoln Center, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and performed a special concert of Handel arias which was recorded in Brussels.^[9][11]

In the 2008/2009 season, DiDonato returned to Covent Garden as Donna Elvira in Mozart's Don Giovanni and as Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia. In a performance of that opera on July 7, DiDonato slipped onstage and broke her right fibula; she finished the first act hobbling and the rest of the performance on crutches. She then performed the five remaining scheduled performances from a wheelchair.^[12] She will be performing the roles of Beatrice in Berlioz's Béatrice et Bénédict with Houston Grand Opera, Idamante in Mozart's Idomeneo with Opéra National de Paris, and Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia in her debut with Vienna State Opera. DiDonato also appeared in concerts with the New York Philharmonic, Kansas City Symphony, and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the latter of which under the baton of James Levine. She also toured Europe and the United States with Les Talens Lyriques giving concerts of Handel arias; including performances at Wigmore Hall and the Rossini Opera Festival.^[13]

In October 2010, DiDonato won the Klassik Echo Award as Singer of the Year.^[14]

DiDonato sang the role of Isolier in Rossini's Le comte Ory with the Metropolitan Opera in April 2011.

At the 54th Grammy Awards on February 12th, 2012, the Grammy for Best Classical Vocal Solo was awarded to DiDonato for her solo recording Diva Divo.^[15]

In 2012, DiDonato was voted into Gramophone Magazine's Hall of Fame.^[16]

In April 2012, DiDonato sang the role of Mary Stuart in Donizetti's Maria Stuarda with the Houston Grand Opera.^[17]

Personal life[link]

DiDonato is married to Italian conductor Leonardo Vordoni with whom she lives in Kansas City, Missouri. She was married once previously and continues to use her first husband's surname professionally.^[3]

Opera roles[link]

@ Indicates a world premiere

Discography[link]

Complete opera recordings[link]

• Alcina in Handel's Alcina with conductor Alan Curtis and Il Complesso Barocco, released 2009, Archiv label.
• Angelina (Cenerentola) in Rossini's La Cenerentola with conductor Alberto Zedda and SWR Orchestra Kaiserslautern, released 2005, Naxos label.
• Ariodante in Handel's Ariodante with conductor Alan Curtis and Il Complesso Barocco, released 2011, Virgin Classics label.
• Ascanio in Berlioz's Benvenuto Cellini with conductor John Nelson and Orchestre National de France, released 2005, Virgin Classics label.
• Elmira in Handel's Floridante with conductor Alan Curtis and Il Complesso Barocco, released 2007, Archiv Produktion label.
• Grace Kelly in Michael Daugherty's Jackie O with conductor Christopher Larkin and Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, released 1997, Argo label.
• Maslova in Tod Machover's Resurrection with conductor Patrick Summers and Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, released 1999, Albany Records.
• Meg March in Mark Adamo's Little Women with conductor Katherine Ciesinski and Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, released 2001, Ondine label.
• Radamisto in Handel's Radamisto with conductor Alan Curtis and Il Complesso Barocco, released 2005, Virgin Classics label.

Concert recordings[link]

• Antonio Vivaldi: The Complete Sacred Music with conductor Robert King and The King's Consort, released 2005, Hyperion label.
• Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Nights Dream with conductor John Nelson and the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, released 2003, EMI Classics label.
• Mozart: The Last Concerto 1791 with conductor Frans Brüggen and the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, released 2002, Glossa label.

Solo recordings[link]

• Diva, Divo, with the Orchestre et Choeur de l’Opéra National de Lyon under Kazushi Ono, released 2011
• Rossini: Colbran, the Muse, conductor Edoardo Muller and Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, released 2009, Virgin Classics label.
• Furore – Mad Scenes from Operas, conductor Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques, released 2008, Virgin Classics label.
• Amor e gelosia: Handel Operatic Duets with Patrizia Ciofi, conductor Alan Curtis and Il Complesso Barocco, released 2004, Virgin Classics label.
• The Deepest Desire, accompanied by David Zobel, released 2006, Eloquentia label.
• Joyce DiDonato: Songs by Fauré, Hahn and Head · Arias by Rossini and Handel, live recording at Wigmore Hall, accompanied by Julius Drake, released 2006, Wigmore Hall Live label.
• ¡Pasión!, accompanied by Julius Drake, released 2007, Eloquentia label.

Other recordings[link]

• William Barnewitz: Long Road Home, DiDonato appears as a guest artist, released 2007, Avie label.
• Plácido Domingo's Operalia '98: A Tribute to Passion and Soul, released 1998, Montblanc label.

Film and television appearances[link]

• Meg March in Mark Adamo's Little Women with conductor Katherine Ciesinski and Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, aired on PBS' Great Performances in 2001.
• Rosina in Rossini's The Barber of Seville with conductor Bruno Campanella and Opéra National de Paris, aired on television in 2002, released on DVD 2002.
• "Gala Jean-Philippe Rameau" – Concert du 20ème anniversaire des Musiciens du Louvre, aired on television in 2003.
• Dejanira in Handel's Hercules with conductor William Christie, Les Arts Florissants, and Aix-en-Provence Festival, aired on television in 2005, released on DVD 2005.^[18]
• Rosina in Rossini's The Barber of Seville with conductor Antonio Pappano at the Royal Opera House, released on DVD in 2010
• Angelina in Rossini's La Cenerentola with conductor Patrick Summers at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, released on DVD in 2010

References[link]

External links[link]

• Joyce DiDonato Official Website
• An interview with Joyce DiDonato, June 2012
• An interview with Joyce DiDonato, September 2008
• Yankee Diva Joyce DiDonato's blog
• Joyce DiDonato's Management at IMG Artists
• Joyce DiDonato – Virgin Classics Official Website
• Joyce DiDonato – EMI Classics UK for Concert Dates and Releases in the UK
• Joyce DiDonato – EMI Classics Germany

Katherine Jenkins
Background information
Born	(1980-06-29) 29 June 1980 (age 31)
Origin	Neath, Wales
Genres	Crossover, classical, operatic pop
Instruments	Voice (mezzo-soprano)
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Universal Warner Music Group
Website	KatherineJenkins

Katherine Jenkins (born 29 June 1980) is a Welsh lyric mezzo-soprano. She is a classical-popular crossover singer^[1][2] who performs across a spectrum of operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre and hymns.^[3]

After winning singing competitions in her youth, Jenkins studied at the Royal Academy of Music, modelled and taught voice. She came to wide public attention in 2003 when she sang at Westminster Cathedral in honour of Pope John Paul II's silver jubilee. Since 2004, she has released numerous albums that have performed well on UK and foreign charts. In both 2005 and 2006, her albums received Classic Brit Awards as Album of the Year. She has also been seen widely in concert, including concerts for UK troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and has sung at sporting events, on television shows and in support of many charities. In Spring 2012, she competed on the US television show Dancing with the Stars, finishing in second place, behind NFL Super Bowl champion Donald Driver.^[4]

Early life and education[link]

Jenkins was born in Neath, Wales,^[5] where she and her sister Laura were raised by their parents Selwyn John and Susan. She has half-sisters from her father's first marriage, neither of whom she has met.^{[citation needed]}

She attended Alderman Davies Church in Wales Primary School in Neath and later Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School, received A grades in GCSEs and A Levels and participated in productions such as Calamity Jane and Guys and Dolls.^[6] She attended singing lessons with John Hugh Thomas and passed her Grade 8 examinations with distinction in both singing and piano.

Between 1990 and 1996, Jenkins was a member of the Royal School of Church Music Cathedral Singers and passed the St Cecilia Award, the highest RSCM award for female choristers.^[6] She was also a member of the National Youth Choir of Wales for three years,^[7] won the BBC Radio 2 Welsh Choirgirl of the Year contest (twice), and the BET Welsh Choirgirl of the Year competition. She was also awarded the Pelenna Valley Male Voice Choir Scholarship for the most promising young singer. At the age of 17 she won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music,^[6] where she studied Italian, German, French and Russian, graduating with honours^[7] and receiving a music teacher's diploma.

After working as a freelance singing teacher, a tour guide on the London Eye and as a model,^[8] she entered a modelling competition and became the Face of Wales 2000. She then decided to follow a musical career.^[6] Universal Classics and Jazz heard her demo and she was invited to an interview at which she sang Rossini's "Una voce poco fa".^[8] Universal offered Jenkins a six-album deal,^[8] the most lucrative in the United Kingdom's classical recording history, reportedly worth £1 million.^[6][9][10]

Record success[link]

Six out of seven of Jenkins's studio albums reached number one in the UK classical charts between 2004 and 2008, selling a total of more than 4 million copies. After her first album, Premiere, made her the fastest-selling mezzo-soprano to date^[6] she became the first British classical crossover artist to have two number one albums in the same year.^[11] She is the first female artist to win two consecutive Classical BRIT Awards: her second album, Second Nature, reached number 16 in the UK Albums Chart,^[9] and was Album of the Year in the 2005 BRIT Awards.

Jenkins's Italian-language version of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" ("L'Amore Sei Tu"), first performed live at Nostell Priory, West Yorkshire on 28 August 2005, was the first cut on her third album Living a Dream. After that album was released, uniquely, she held the top three positions in the classical crossover music chart.^[6][12] The album held the number one position for nearly a year and reached number four in the pop album charts.^[12] Jenkins repeated the success of Second Nature with her Living a Dream album when she won the classical BRIT award for Album of the Year for a second time.^[13][14]

Her fourth album, Serenade was released on 6 November 2006 and reached number five in the mainstream charts selling more than 50,000 copies in its first week, a record in the genre.^[6] The top four albums on HMV's classical charts were hers.^[15]

Her fifth album, Rejoice, was released on 19 November 2007 and included songs written specially for her,^[16] two by Take That's Gary Barlow.^[17] The album entered the pop album charts at number three,^[18] beating the Spice Girls and Girls Aloud.^[19] Jenkins commented "I never imagined when I was a young girl listening to them on the radio that I would outsell the Spice Girls and Celine Dion. It’s almost too much to take in. I can’t thank my fans enough for all their support."^[19]

On 20 October 2008 Jenkins released Sacred Arias, which is her last album with Universal Music. On 19 October The Daily Telegraph stated that Jenkins had signed the biggest classical recording deal in history, for US$10 million (£5.8 million), with Warner Music.^[20]

Jenkins released her next album, Believe, on 26 October 2009, the first with Warner Music. This album featured Andrea Bocelli and other musicians like André Rieu and Chris Botti. She made various TV appearances such as GMTV, Something for the Weekend and Piers Morgan's Life Stories on 24 October 2009 and on The Graham Norton Show on 2 November 2009. She performed the theme from The Godfather, Parla Piu Piano at Gary Barlow's Children In Need Rock The Albert Hall with cellist Julian Lloyd Webber. Later in December 2009, she performed a cover of Evanescence's "Bring Me to Life" at The Royal Variety Performance. On 23 May 2010, she went to Argentina for the first time and sang Parla Piu Piano in the popular Argentinian show Susana Giménez.^[21]

In 2011, Jenkins released another album, Daydream.

Concerts[link]

Jenkins first came to public attention when she sang at Westminster Cathedral honouring Pope John Paul II's silver jubilee in October 2003 and then supporting Aled Jones on tour.^[7][9] At the Rugby World Cup in 2003 she made her Sydney Opera House debut^[8] and, in August 2004, her first USA appearance, supporting Hayley Westenra at Joe's Pub in New York City.^[7]

Jenkins was the first person to perform the Home Nations anthem "The Power of Four" and began to appear regularly to sing the Welsh national anthem "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" at Welsh international rugby union matches, singing with Bryn Terfel at the 2005 Wales vs. England Six Nations match at the Millennium Stadium.^[8] She is now the official mascot for the Wales rugby union team.^[10]

On 22 January 2005 Jenkins sang in Cardiff at the Tsunami Relief Concert^[10] and in April and May of that year supported Irish tenor Ronan Tynan on his first US tour as a solo artist. That May she sang at Trafalgar Square to a 15,000-strong audience celebrating the 60th Anniversary of VE Day.^[22][23] At the Berlin stage of Live 8 in 2005, Jenkins sang the hymn "Amazing Grace",^[24] and she later helped to launch The Royal British Legion's poppy appeal at Covent Garden whilst wearing a dress made of 2,500 poppies.^[25]

With the Blue Man Group, Jenkins sang "I Feel Love" in front of the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance on 21 November 2005.^[26] She performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, on 11 December 2005.^[27]

In November 2006 she performed before the Queen at the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall and joined fellow Welsh singer James Fox in the final verse of "Anthem" from the musical Chess.^[28]

In July 2007 Jenkins gave a concert at Margam Park in south Wales, performing alongside Paul Potts and Juan Diego Flórez.^[29] Jenkins extended a personal invitation to Potts to sing "Nessun dorma" at the concert.^[30]

In September 2007 Jenkins catwalk modeled at Naomi Campbell's Fashion Relief event for charity in a Julien Macdonald dress which was then bought by Sir Philip Green for £10,000.^[31]

In November 2007 she sang again at the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall and was named classical performer of the year at the Variety Club Showbiz Awards.^[32]

With Darcey Bussell she has appeared in a stage song-and-dance production, entitled Viva la Diva, paying tribute to stars^[33] including Madonna and Judy Garland.^[16] The show opened in Manchester in November 2007.^[33][34] Jenkins learned to tap dance, spending eight hours a week learning the choreography and running three miles a day to get fit.^[16] She performed the Welsh National Anthem on 17 May 2008 at the 2008 FA Cup Final between Cardiff City and Portsmouth, becoming the first person to do this at an FA Cup Final.^[35]

Jenkins sings the Welsh national anthem at Sophia Gardens before the start of the 2009 Ashes.

At the beginning of 2009, Jenkins performed in South Korea with Plácido Domingo. This was Jenkins's third concert with Domingo having performed with him in Hong Kong in 2008 and Athens in 2007. They then performed together in May 2009 at The Classical Brit Awards.

On 8 July 2009 Jenkins performed at the opening ceremony of the Ashes Test Series between England and Australia at Sophia Gardens cricket ground in Cardiff. On Saturday 12 September 2009 she performed in Hyde Park for the Last Night of the Proms. On Monday 21 September she performed at the memorial service for Sir Bobby Robson, singing "Pie Jesu" at the request of Lady Robson.

On 12 November 2009, Jenkins performed a duet with cellist Julian Lloyd Webber for Children in Need at the Royal Albert Hall. The same month, Jenkins performed "I Believe" (from Believe) with Andrea Bocelli on his PBS Christmas Special. The duet appears in his album, My Christmas. Jenkins was scheduled to do her first Arena tour in March 2010.

On 24 May 2010, as part of the Argentina Bicentennial‎ she performed the Canadian Anthem at the Argentina VS. Canada World Cup warm-up football match in the River Plate Stadium at Buenos Aires.^[36] On 11 June 2010, Jenkins performed a live comedy routine with Armenian comedy pianist Kev Orkian for a private birthday party at which Motown legend Lionel Richie performed, along with the LSO (London Symphony Orchestra) and comedians Bobby Davro and Jethro.^[37] The comedy sketch was an updated version of an old Victor Borge routine which Orkian had written and developed with Jenkins. In her official blog, Jenkins mentions that she may one day perform the routine in public. On 3 July 2010, Jenkins took the stage at Cheltenham Racecourse, with the National Symphony Orchestra. She was supported by violinist Diana Yukawa.^[38]

Television[link]

On 23 December 2006, Jenkins appeared on ITV's Parkinson show, backed by the Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir and a brass band.^[39]

She made a cameo appearance in two episodes of Emmerdale which saw 11.6 million viewers tune in to find out who killed popular character Tom King who was murdered on Christmas Day. She appeared in the show on 16 and 17 May 2007 which saw her opening the village pageant.^[40]

In July 2007, she performed live on Saving Planet Earth on BBC 1 to raise money for the BBC Wildlife Fund.^[41]

On 12 August 2007 she appeared on ITV's Britain's Favourite View, nominating Three Cliffs Bay on the Gower Peninsula as Britain's favourite view.^[42] She commented; "I grew up on the edge of the Gower, but it was still a holiday place for our family. We’d go on weekend breaks to Three Cliffs Bay – six miles down the road! That’s how gorgeous it is."^[43]

Jenkins live at Clumber Park in 2011.

On 21 October 2007 she sang "Time to Say Goodbye" with Andrea Bocelli on the Strictly Come Dancing results show. Jenkins and Darcey Bussell performed a segment of their show Viva la Diva before the Queen at the 79th Royal Variety Performance, televised on 9 December 2007.^[44] On 15 December, Jenkins performed on The X Factor final with contestant Rhydian Roberts, performing the song "You Raise Me Up".^[45] Jenkins made an appearance on Saturday Kitchen LIVE in December 2008.

Jenkins appeared in episode 3 of the fifth series of The Apprentice, performing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" as part of a private recital to winning team Ignite. The programme was aired on BBC One on 8 March 2009. 2009 saw Jenkins performing on a large number of TV shows – The Royal Variety Performance, Children In Need Rocks The Albert Hall, The Alan Titchmarsh Show, This Morning, GMTV, Something for the Weekend, The Paul O'Grady Show, presenting for the BBC the week long series The Week We Went To War, Piers Morgan's Life Stories for ITV1, Strictly Come Dancing, The Graham Norton Show and The Andrew Marr Show.

Jenkins started 2010 by appearing as one of two mentors on ITV1s prime time Friday night show, Popstar to Operastar. She appeared in the 2010 Christmas Special of Doctor Who, "A Christmas Carol", in which she played Abigail Pettigrew – her first major acting role. Jenkins appeared as the featured singer on the 11 April 2011 episode of ABC's show Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) singing "Con te partirò" (Time to Say Goodbye) and "O mio babbino caro". She later sang "The Flower Duet" with DWTS regular Beverley Staunton.

On 23 October 2011, Jenkins appeared live on US television network, FOX from Wembley Stadium, performing "God Save the Queen" before the NFL game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Chicago Bears.^[46]

Jenkins appeared in season 14 of the U.S. TV series Dancing with the Stars, paired with a two-time champion of the show, Mark Ballas. The pair came in second place.^[4]

Personal life[link]

Her father, Selwyn, died of lung cancer at age 70 when she was 15.^[6][47] She has dedicated each award she received to him.^{[citation needed]} While Jenkins was studying at the Royal Academy of Music, at 19 years of age, she was attacked, beaten and robbed by an unknown assailant who attempted to rape her, but she fought the man off.^[48][49]

After Jenkins and Dame Vera Lynn were together at centre stage at the 60th Anniversary of VE Day in 2005 during the song "We'll Meet Again", the newspapers dubbed Jenkins "the new Forces' Sweetheart", a nickname given to Lynn during World War II.^[23] Lynn had said to Jenkins that she should "go out and entertain the troops," which Jenkins promised she would.^[23] In December 2005 and 2006 Jenkins travelled to Iraq to entertain the soldiers for Christmas.^[11][50] On her first visit to Iraq in 2005, when travelling to Shaibah, the largest British base in Southern Iraq, the helicopter she was travelling in was targeted by missiles. Anti-missile flares were deployed and the group landed safely.^[23]

In November 2008 Jenkins revealed to the Daily Mail that when she was a student she had taken class A drugs (cocaine and ecstasy) and cannabis. She noted that she was introduced to them by people she socialized with at the time and that she stopped taking them after signing her record deal in 2003.^[51] In the article Jenkins said "taking drugs is the biggest regret of my life".

Jenkins's autobiography, Time to Say Hello, was released on 28 January 2008, and was also serialized in The Mail on Sunday.^[49]

At the start of 2007 Jenkins made her first appearance in the British young people's Sunday Times Rich List which ranked her as the sixty-second richest young person in Britain with an estimated wealth of £9 million.^[52] In 2010, the Sunday Times Rich List placed her at joint 11th in the Top 20 Young Millionaires list alongside Leona Lewis and Charlotte Church with an estimated wealth of £11 million.

In July 2010, Jenkins was reported to have bought a house with TV presenter Gethin Jones.^[53] In February 2011, they became engaged, but on 30 December 2011, Jenkins and Jones announced that they were no longer together.^[54]

Discography[link]

Studio albums:

• Premiere (2004)
• Second Nature (2004)
• Living a Dream (2005)
• Serenade (2006)
• Rejoice (2007)
• Sacred Arias (2008)
• Believe (2009)
• Daydream (2011)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Katherine Jenkins

• Katherine Jenkins Official Site
• Katherine Jenkins at the Internet Movie Database
• Katherine Jenkins biography from BBC Wales
• Katherine Jenkins on Classicalx
• Official Record Label Website
• Katherine Jenkins Interview

Denyce Graves in concert

Denyce Graves (born March 7, 1964 in Washington, D.C.) is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer.

Early life[link]