Jenny Oaks Baker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jenny Oaks Baker
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Photo from Classic: The Rock Album in August 2013
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Jenny June Oaks
May 27, 1975 Provo, Utah, U.S.
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| Education | Curtis Institute of Music (B.M.) Juilliard School (M.M.) |
| Occupation | Violinist |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) |
| Spouse(s) | Matthew David Baker (m. March 7, 1998–present) |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent(s) | Father: Dallin H. Oaks (born 1932) Mother: June Dixon (1933–1998) |
Jenny Oaks Baker (born May 27, 1975) is a famous American violinist. She plays the violin beautifully and has even been nominated for a Grammy Award! For a while, she played with the National Symphony Orchestra. Jenny Oaks Baker has made many music albums, and some of them have been very popular on the Billboard charts.
Contents
Jenny's Early Life and School
Jenny was born in Provo, Utah, on May 27, 1975. She started playing the violin when she was only four years old. By the time she was eight, in 1983, she performed her first solo concert with an orchestra! As a young person, she won many awards in music competitions.
She studied music at two famous schools. In 1997, she earned a degree in violin performance from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Then, in 1999, she got her master's degree from the Juilliard School in New York City.
Her Amazing Music Career
Jenny Oaks Baker has released many albums, with nineteen of them coming out through Shadow Mountain Records. Her very first album, On Wings of Song (1998), won two Pearl Awards.
Grammy Nomination
One of her albums, Wish Upon a Star: A Tribute to the Music of Walt Disney, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2012. This was for the "Best Pop Instrumental Album" category. Many of her albums have also appeared on the Billboard charts, which shows how popular her music is! Some of these include Then Sings My Soul (2010), Noël: Carols of Christmas Past (2012), and Classic: The Rock Album (2014).
Performing on Big Stages
Jenny has performed as a solo artist in very famous places like Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. She has also played with many well-known orchestras, including the National Symphony Orchestra, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, and the Utah Symphony. You might have even seen her on TV or heard her on the radio!
She has worked with other famous artists too, like Gladys Knight and Condoleezza Rice, who used to be the Secretary of State for the United States.
Music in Movies
Jenny's violin music has been used in the soundtracks of several movies. For example, her music was in the 2007 PBS documentary The Mormons. It was also featured in the films 17 Miracles (2011), The Cokeville Miracle (2015), and Christmas Eve (2015). In Christmas Eve, she even acted as a violinist character named Mandy!
Awards and Recognition
In 2007, Jenny was a judge for the Stradivarius International Violin Competition. The next year, in April 2008, the Governor of Utah, Jon M. Huntsman Jr., gave her the Governor’s Mansion Artist Award. This award recognized her amazing artistic talent.
For seven years, Jenny Oaks Baker was a first violinist in the National Symphony Orchestra. She left in 2007 to spend more time with her family.
Jenny's Family Life
Jenny Oaks Baker is the daughter of Dallin H. Oaks and June Oaks. Her father is a lawyer and used to be the president of Brigham Young University. He also served as a judge on the Utah Supreme Court. As of 2024, he is a high-ranking leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jenny is a member of this church too.
Jenny is married to Matthew Baker. They live in Utah with their four children: Laura, Hannah, Sarah, and Matthew Jr. Her children sometimes perform with her on albums and in concerts. They are known as "Family Four"!
Jenny's Albums (Discography)
- On Wings of Song (1998)
- 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)
- The Redeemer (2022)
Jenny Oaks Baker & Family Four Albums
- Jenny Oaks Baker & Family Four (2019)
- Joy to the World (2020)
Filmography
Jenny Oaks Baker has appeared in one film:
| Film | ||
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| Year | Title | Role |
| 2015 | Christmas Eve | Mandy |
Awards and Nominations
Jenny Oaks Baker has received several awards and nominations for her musical talents.
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards are very important music awards in the United States.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
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| 2012 | Wish Upon a Star: A Tribute to the Music of Walt Disney | Best Pop Instrumental Album | Nominated |
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)
