Jenny Oaks Baker (born Jenny June Oaks; May 27, 1975) is a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

nominated American violinist and former member of the

National Symphony Orchestra The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1930, its principal performing venue is the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. It also performs for the annual National M ...

. She has released eighteen studio albums, several of which have topped or nearly topped ''Billboard'' charts.

Music career

Baker began playing the violin at age four, and made her solo orchestral debut in 1983 at the age of eight. She also won several competition awards in her youth. She earned a

Bachelor of Music Bachelor of Music (BM or BMus) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree, and the majority of work consists of pre ...

degree in violin performance from

Curtis Institute of Music The Curtis Institute of Music is a private conservatory in Philadelphia. It offers a performance diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in opera, and a Professional Studies Certificate in opera. All students attend on full scholarship. Hi ...

(

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

, 1997) and a Master of Music degree from

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely ...

(New York City, 1999). With

Shadow Mountain Records Deseret Book () is an American publishing company headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, that also operates a chain of bookstores throughout the western United States. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation (DMC), the ...

, she has released twelve albums. Her first album, ''On Wings of Song'' (1998), was awarded two

Pearl Award :''This article deals with music's role in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints outside of the context of worship; for hymns, see The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hymns or for the hymnal Hymns of The Church of Jesus Chr ...

s from the . Her album, '' Wish Upon a Star: A Tribute to the Music of Walt Disney'', earned a nomination at the

54th Grammy Awards The 54th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles being broadcast on CBS honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011. LL Cool J hosted the ...

for Best Pop Instrumental Album. Several of her albums have listed on

Billboard charts The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...

, including her 2010 album ''Then Sings My Soul''; her 2012 album, ''Noël: Carols of Christmas Past'' which was produced and arranged by composer

Kurt Bestor Kurt Bestor (born 1958) is an American keyboardist and composer specializing in new-age, film scores, and jazz. He is known for his instrumental Christmas arrangements. His best-known songs are "Prayer of the Children", "Mama Don't You Weep". He is ...

featuring vocalist

Alex Sharpe Alexandria Sharpe (born 4 May 1971) is an Irish soprano singer and actress mostly known for her live roles in London's West End and on the Irish stage (both the Olympia and Gaiety Theatres). In the United States she is best known as one of the ...

; and her 2014 album ''Classic: The Rock Album''. She has performed as a soloist at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built ...

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...

, Strathmore Hall, the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

and as a guest soloist with the National Symphony, Jerusalem Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Utah Symphony, and the

Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, is an American choir, acting as part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It has performed in the Salt Lake Tabernacle for ov ...

. She has also been featured in television and radio broadcasts nationwide. Her BYUTV ''In Performance'' special, "Silver Screen Serenade", features Baker performing music from her 2008 album of the same name. She has collaborated with

Gladys Knight Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944), known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, actress and businesswoman. A seven-time Grammy Award-winner, Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys K ...

Marvin Hamlisch Marvin Frederick Hamlisch (June 2, 1944 – August 6, 2012) was an American composer and conductor. Hamlisch was one of only seventeen people to win Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards. This collection of all four is referred to as an " E ...

, Lisa Hopkins Seegmiller,

, Mike Masse, and former Secretary of State

Condoleezza Rice Condoleezza Rice ( ; born November 14, 1954) is an American diplomat and political scientist who is the current director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as the 66th Un ...

. Baker's music has been featured on the soundtracks of many films, including Helen Whitney's 2007 PBS documentary miniseries, '' The Mormons'', T. C. Christensen's 2011 film, '' 17 Miracles'' and 2015 film ''

The Cokeville Miracle ''The Cokeville Miracle'' is a 2015 drama film written & directed by T. C. Christensen and starring Jasen Wade, Sarah Kent and Kimball Stinger. The film was based on the Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis in 1986 and the book ''The Coke ...

'', and Mitch Davis' 2015 film, ''

Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...

'' which also features her acting debut as the violinist character, Mandy. Baker served as a judge for the 2007 Stradivarius International Violin Competition. In April 2008, Governor

Jon M. Huntsman Jr. Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. (born March 26, 1960) is an American businessman, diplomat and politician who served as the 16th Governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the Ambassador of the United States to ...

of Utah awarded her the Governor’s Mansion Artist Award for excellence in artistic expression. For seven years, Baker performed as a first violinist in the

before resigning in 2007 to devote more time to her family.

Personal life

Baker is a daughter of Dallin H. Oaks, a former

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...

president and

Utah Supreme Court The Utah Supreme Court is the supreme court of the state of Utah, United States. It has final authority of interpretation of the Utah Constitution. The Utah Supreme Court is composed of five members: a chief justice, an associate chief justice, ...

justice, who is now the second-ranking leader in

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

(LDS Church), and June Oaks (' Dixon). She is a member of the LDS Church and an alumna of East High School (1993). During 1996-98 Jenny was in a relationship with well known Australian violinist Brett Hinch. Sadly, the distance of travel proved too much. They remain good friends to this day. Baker is married to Matthew Baker. They live in Utah with their four children Laura, Hannah, Sarah, and Matthew Jr, who perform with her on two records and in concert as "Family Four". Discography *''On Wings of Song'' (1998) * ''The King and I Rodgers and Hammerstein Tribute'' (1998) - Jenny Oakes Baker and Brett Hinch *''Songs My Mother Taught Me'' (1999) *''Where Love Is'' (2000) *''American Tapestry'' (2001) *''The Light Divine'' (2003) * ''The Best of Jenny Oaks Baker'' (2005) *''O Holy Night'' (2007) *''Silver Screen Serenade'' (2008) *''Then Sings My Soul'' (2010) *'' Wish Upon a Star: A Tribute to the Music of Walt Disney'' (2011) *''Noel: Carols of Christmas Past'' (2012) *''Classic: The Rock Album'' (2014) *''My Home Can Be a Holy Place'' (2015) *''Awakening'' (2016) *''The Spirit Of God'' (2018) *''Epic'' (2020)

Jenny Oaks Baker & Family Four

*''Jenny Oaks Baker & Family Four'' (2019) *''Joy to the World'' (2020)

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

The

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

are awarded annually by the

National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy Aw ...

of the United States. , - , rowspan="1",

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

, rowspan="1", '' Wish Upon a Star: A Tribute to the Music of Walt Disney'' , Best Pop Instrumental Album , , -

Other Awards

*Concerto Soloists National Young Artists String Competition - Winner *National Music Camp Concerto Competition - Winner *Utah Symphony Guild Competition - Winner *Kingsville International String Competition - Honors * Irving M. Klein International String Competition (1996) - Michaelian Prize *Governor's Mansion Artist Award (2008)

References

External links

Official website
*
Jenny Oaks Baker
on YouTube {{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Jenny Oaks 1975 births American classical violinists Latter Day Saints from Utah Juilliard School alumni Living people Musicians from Provo, Utah Curtis Institute of Music alumni Classical musicians from Virginia 21st-century classical violinists Women classical violinists