The traditional soprano is a histrionic, frumpy, overweight diva who turns hissy fits into an art form. They are the focus of adulation in opera houses hidden away from anyone but the elite.

Katherine Jenkins is the alternative opera star. A popular phenomenon, rightly referred to as ‘Britain’s favourite singer’. She has pop star glamour with a girl-next-door personality, performs in rugby stadiums as much as opera houses and has outsold Maria Callas.

Re-defining the concept of classical crossover, Katherine has survived personal tragedy, classical snobbery and even insurgents’ missiles to become a superstar in a class of her own.

That fact is evident in the details as much as the famous smile.
Katherine has achieved global sales of over 3 million. Her debut album, 2004’s appropriately titled Premiere was the fastest selling of all time by a Mezzo Soprano, with well over 30,000 copies snapped up in the first week.

She is the only singer in musical history to simultaneously hold the Number 1,2 and 3 position in the classical album charts, which she achieved with Premiere, Second Nature and Living the Dream in 2005.

Living The Dream confirmed Katherine’s remarkable ascendancy by reaching Number 4 in the pop Album Charts, whilst holding at Number 1 in the Classical Chart for an amazing 47 weeks.

Serenade, released last November, went to Number 5 in the pop charts and has sold half a million copies to date.

Not bad for a former schoolteacher from Neath, South Wales who, while a fan of Marilyn Monroe glamour, has the business savvy of an opera Madonna.

“I don’t understand where the idea came from that opera is only for the privileged,” says Katherine, sill genuinely confused by the concept, “I’m as happy singing before 70,000 people at the Millennium Stadium, as I am in front of a few hundred in a small concert hall.”

Born in Neath 26 years ago, Katherine’s parents were dedicated to their daughter’s blossoming talents. Her mother, Susan, ran the local Sunday school and Katherine quickly became a star performer in the church choir.
Meanwhile, her retired father Selwyn dedicated himself to driving Katherine to and from endless music lessons, doing whatever it took to further her musical talents.

By 1993 Katherine was the BBC Welsh Choirgirl of the Year but tragically her father passed away suddenly of cancer when she was just 15, an emotional impact that she says helped shape her unique voice.
Young, bubbly and smiling she may be, but her performances touch on emotions that most people can only keep buried inside.

“I know how much he wanted this for me,” she still considers of her father, “I put my heart and everything into it for him. My sister and I spent so much time with dad. We had no brothers and to lose the man in your life at fifteen is devastating. It was two weeks before my GCSE’s. It was a toss up whether to do them, but I knew dad really wanted me to. I don’t know how I managed it, but I did. There’s been certain moments when I know he’s there for sure. It’s like singing to him. I got a sense of that when I accepted the BRIT award. He was watching.”

She won BRIT awards for Second Nature and Living The Dream, the only female artist ever to win two consecutive classical BRIT awards.

“I put the pressure on myself. I’m a perfectionist and people around me know that. Yes, it’s hard to put something out after you’ve been successful, it has to come up to my highest expectations. I set myself really tough goals and I’ll only be happy if I achieve them.”

As passionate as she is perfectionist, she still believes in love at first sight and following her heart - an interesting balancing act when she knows she must put her all into her career right now. A split form her long-term boyfriend last year was painful but Katherine is savouring every high - “You never know how long it’s going to last.”

Serenade features one of her all time favourite songs, her “classicalised” version of Bryan Adams’ Everything I Do.

“I like the idea of doing a classical version of a pop song. I did it last time with I Will Always Love You (L’Amore Sei Tu) and wanted to carry on the theme because I’ve always loved that song. Bryan ended up coming into the studio and playing guitar on the track. That was such a thrill, I didn’t even tell him that when I was younger Robin Hood Prince of Thieves was a huge favourite of mine. I made my piano teacher show me how to play that song.”

But it is not just her own favourites that make their way onto Katherine Jenkins albums. Her fans have a say too.
On Serenade she sings The Flower Duet with Kiri te Kanawa, a song best known as the theme to British Airways adverts and one of the most requested from Katherine’s fan base.

Talking of fans, she regularly sings for 70,000 of them at her second home, the Millennium Stadium Cardiff. The official mascot of the Welsh rugby team (and a 2006 Welsh Woman Of The Year) Katherine has proudly roused a nation for many Welsh international matches. She has performed at the stadium at least 12 times, including 2 FA Cup Finals, 2 Rugby League Challenge Cup Finals, as well as the Tsunami Concert in 2005.
Add her triumphs at some of the most prestigious venues in the world - the Sydney Opera House, the Royal Albert Hall in London – and Katherine emerges as one of the most accomplished performers at every level of her profession.

Her rise to fame has been meteoric - schoolteacher to superstar within months - but Katherine remembers the hard work,

“I’ve been singing since I was four years old, I’m hardly an overnight sensation!”

After graduating with honours from the Royal Academy of Music, Katherine made ends meet with everything from part time modelling (“I hated all the waiting around”) to being a tour guide on the London Eye.

She most enjoyed her stint as a freelance singing teacher at a Hertfordshire school, during which she was invited to showcase her talents for Universal Records who signed her in 2003 to a long-term 6-album contract. Premiere was released later that year, the rest is history.

Her achievements in the last two years have put her at the centre of British public life. She performed at VE Day Celebrations in Trafalgar Square, dubbed ‘The new Forces sweetheart.’ She sang at Live 8 in Berlin, London and Edinburgh, made numerous appearances before members of the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace and St. James Palace and sung for Cherie and Tony Blair at a star filled gala dinner for Breast Cancer Care at Chequers. A personal favourite was treating Pensioners at The Royal Hospital Chelsea to a 1940s sing–a-long in their pub where she bought them all a pint afterwards! Katherine even had a flower named after her.

Christmas 2005 saw her don combats and fly to Basra to entertain British troops in Iraq.

“I’ve become a Trustee of the British Forces Foundation which raises money to get entertainment out to the troops. It’s the only charity in the UK where artists are not paid and they donate their services in order to give something back to society.
We were travelling in massive military helicopters that you could fit Land Rovers into, 18 hours of flying from base to base. The helicopter made a sudden dip from 2,000 to 500 feet to avoid a ground to air missile. My arms and legs were in the air and everyone was screaming but it was fine. I wasn’t scared, it was ‘on with the next show!’

“I even got back in time to get myself dolled up and be at the local pub with my sister on Christmas Eve and everyone said, ‘Haven’t I just seen you on the news? Weren’t you in Iraq?’ I believe that it’s either God or my dad that saved us from that missile.”

2006 was a year of consolidation, performing for fans with sell out shows throughout the spring and summer in places as diverse as Lisbon, Miami, Dubai and Tokyo. In June MontBlanc International signed Katherine to an exclusive 3 year deal to be the “Face of Montblanc”, spearheading the marketing of their new jewellery range.

Now, she has teamed up with ballet star Darcey Bussell to deliver a series of innovative and groundbreaking shows over the autumn - a unique fusion of dance and song called Viva la Diva, reclaiming that ‘diva’ word for its original musical meaning and continuing her commitment to arts for the masses.

Albums:
Premiere 2003
Second Nature 2004
Living The Dream 2005
Serenade 2006

Awards:
Royal School of Church Music Cathedral Singers St Cecilia Award
Classical BRIT Awards
Album Of The Year 2005 – Second Nature
Album Of The Year 2006 – Living The Dream
Nordoff Robbins Classical Album
2006 Welsh Women Of The Year

Contact Details