Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins has emerged as Britain’s all-time best-selling classical artist. Jenkins fell under the sway of classical music at seven, studying piano and singing in her local choir throughout childhood. In 1990, she joined the Royal School of Church Music Cathedral Singers and also served with the National Youth Choir of Wales. At 17, Jenkins was accepted into London’s Royal Academy of Music, tackling a series of operatic roles while studying Italian, German, French, and Russian. In 2003, Universal Classics signed Jenkins to a six-album, seven-figure recording contract, reputedly the largest classical deal in U.K. music industry history. While at work on her debut LP, she performed at Westminster Cathedral in honor of Pope John Paul II and also made her inaugural appearance at the famed Sydney Opera House. Issued in 2004, Jenkins’ debut, Premiere, immediately topped the classical music charts, and its success inspired a quickie follow-up, Second Nature. Together the albums vaulted the singer to a level of commercial success previously unknown in classical music, and she further exploited her popularity by recording a classical rendition of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” for 2005’s Living a Dream. Serenade topped both the U.K. classical and album charts in 2006, as did Rejoice the following year. Sacred Arias represented her last album for Universal before transitioning to Warner Bros. for the more contemporary Believe (2009) and Daydream (2011). The following year, Jenkins released her first official holiday album, This Is Christmas. She continues to impress crowds all over the globe.
