Кэтрин Дженкинс: Уэльс әншісінің өмір жолы мен мансабы

Welsh classical crossover singer

Katherine Jenkins (born 29 June 1980) is a Welsh singer. She is a mezzo soprano and performs operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre, and hymns. After winning singing competitions in her youth, Jenkins studied at the Royal Academy of Music, modelled, and taught voice lessons. 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 British and foreign charts. In both 2005 and 2006, her albums received Classic Brit Awards as Album of the Year. She has been seen widely in concert and has performed for British Armed Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. She has sung at sporting events, on television shows, and in support of many charities.

Katherine Jenkins was born in Neath on 29 June 1980, the daughter of factory worker Selwyn John Jenkins and Susan, an NHS radiographer. She has a sister named Laura. She attended the Church in Wales' Alderman Davies primary school in Neath, Dwr y Felin Comprehensive School, and Gorseinon College. She received A grades in her GCSEs and A Levels and participated in productions such as Calamity Jane and Guys and Dolls. She studied vocal performance with John Hugh Thomas and passed her Grade 8 examinations with distinction in both singing and piano. Her father, Selwyn, who was twenty three years older than his wife and took early retirement to look after his children when their mother returned to work, died of lung cancer at age 70 when Jenkins was 15. She has dedicated each award she has received to him.

Between 1991 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. 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, she entered a modelling competition and became the Face of Wales 2000. She then decided to follow a musical career.

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. At the Berlin stage of Live 8 in 2005, Jenkins sang the hymn "Amazing Grace", 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. On 27 August 2005, Jenkins performed "Abide With Me" at the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff which was attended by 74,213 spectators. During the anthem, BBC cameras captured the moment of a Hull F. C. fan being brought to tears during the song. In December 2005 and 2006, Jenkins travelled to Iraq to entertain the soldiers for Christmas. With the Blue Man Group, Jenkins sang "I Feel Love" in front of the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance on 21 November 2005. She performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, on 11 December 2005. 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. In July 2007, Jenkins gave a concert at Margam Park in south Wales, performing alongside Paul Potts and Juan Diego Flórez. Jenkins extended a personal invitation to Potts to sing "Nessun dorma" at the concert. In September 2007, Jenkins 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. 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 of Great Britain Awards. With Darcey Bussell she has appeared in a stage song and dance production, entitled Viva la Diva, paying tribute to stars including Madonna and the late Judy Garland (who died in 1969). Jenkins learned to tap dance, spending eight hours a week learning the choreography and running three miles a day to get fit. 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 at Sophia Gardens cricket ground in Cardiff. On 12 September 2009, she performed in Hyde Park for Proms in the Park. On 21 September 2009, 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. On 11 June 2010, Jenkins performed a live comedy routine with Armenian comedy pianist Kev Orkian for a private birthday party at which singer Lionel Richie performed, along with the LSO (London Symphony Orchestra) and comedians Bobby Davro and Jethro. 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. Jenkins performed at the opening night gala Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in July 2010. During March and April 2013, Jenkins went on tour with Il Divo for their first and only European and UK tour. She also participated in the 2013 U. S. Memorial Day Concert in Washington, D. C., singing a selection from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem and You'll Never Walk Alone from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel. On 9 May 2015, she performed at VE Day 70: A Party to Remember in Horse Guards Parade, London. In 2017, Jenkins starred as the romantic lead Julie Jordan in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel in a limited run at the English National Opera directed by Lonny Price, opposite musical theatre star Alfie Boe. On 1 December 2020, the Katherine Jenkins Christmas Spectacular at the Royal Albert Hall was released as both a film in cinemas and on DVD.

In June 2023, Jenkins launched the Cygnet 22 range of gins. Jenkins claimed that she became a gin drinker because, unlike other types of alcohol, gin was typically "cleaner" to drink for singers, without affecting their voice. The name "cygnet" came from the term of a baby swan, an animal symbolic of her native Swansea. The number "22" refers to the age Jenkins was when she was offered the largest recording deal in classical music history.

Jenkins made her film debut in the feature film Minamata.

Jenkins is a Christian and says that she believes in Heaven: "I believe my dad is somewhere doing something nice." In memory of her father, she raised £25,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support by running the 2013 London Marathon. She finished the course in 5 hours and 26 minutes. While Jenkins was studying at the Royal Academy of Music at the age of 19, she was attacked, beaten, and robbed by an unknown assailant who attempted to rape her but she fought him off. She also began using drugs during this period of time, which she later said was "the biggest regret of [her] life". 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. Jenkins met Welsh television presenter Gethin Jones in 2007, and they became engaged in February 2011. They announced that they were no longer together on 30 December 2011. In October 2013, Jenkins began dating American painter Andrew Levitas. They announced their engagement in April 2014. They married at Hampton Court Palace on 27 September 2014, with the vicar from her hometown conducting a religious blessing. Jenkins gave birth to their first child, a daughter, in September 2015. Their son was born in April 2018. Jenkins was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours for her services to music and for charitable services.