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Jenny Oaks Baker

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Jenny Oaks Baker
Photo from Classic: The Rock Album in August 2013
Born
Jenny June Oaks

(1975-05-27) May 27, 1975 (age 49)
Provo, Utah, U.S.
EducationCurtis Institute of Music (B.M.)
Juilliard School (M.M.)
OccupationViolinist
Years active1979–present
Height5 ft 4 in (163 cm)
SpouseMatthew David Baker (m. March 7, 1998–present)
Children4
Parent(s)Father: Dallin H. Oaks (born 1932)
Mother: June Dixon (1933–1998)
WebsiteJennyOaksBaker.com

Jenny Oaks Baker (born Jenny June Oaks; May 27, 1975)[1] is an American violinist. She has been nominated for a Grammy Award, and is a former member of the National Symphony Orchestra. Baker has released eighteen studio albums, several of which have ranked high on the Billboard charts.

Early life and education

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Baker was born in Provo, Utah on May 27, 1975. She 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.[2]

She earned a Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance from Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia in 1997[3][4] and a Master of Music degree from Juilliard School in New York City in 1999.[5]

Career

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With Shadow Mountain Records, she has released nineteen albums. Her first album, On Wings of Song (1998), was awarded two Pearl Awards from the FCMA.[2] Her album, Wish Upon a Star: A Tribute to the Music of Walt Disney, earned a nomination at the 54th Grammy Awards for Best Pop Instrumental Album.[6] Several of her albums have listed on Billboard charts, 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 featuring vocalist Alex Sharpe; and her 2014 album Classic: The Rock Album.[7]

She has performed as a soloist at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Strathmore Hall, the Library of Congress 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. 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, Marvin Hamlisch, Lisa Hopkins Seegmiller, Kurt Bestor, and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

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, and Mitch Davis' 2015 film, Christmas Eve 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. 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 National Symphony Orchestra before resigning in 2007 to devote more time to her family.

Personal life

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Baker is a daughter of Dallin H. Oaks and June Oaks (née Dixon). Her father is an attorney and former president of Brigham Young University, served as a Utah Supreme Court justice, and as of 2024 is the second-ranking leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).[8] She is a member of the LDS Church and a 1993 alumna of East High School in Salt Lake City.[9] On September 9, 2024, she joined pianist Jared Pierce to accompany Nathan Pacheco when he sang happy birthday to LDS Church president Russell M. Nelson at his 100th birthday celebration.[10]

Baker is married to Matthew Baker.[11] They live in Utah with their four children Laura, Hannah, Sarah, and Matthew Jr,[12] who perform with her on two records and in concert as "Family Four".

Discography

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  • 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

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

Filmography

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Film
Year Title Role
2015 Christmas Eve Mandy

Awards and nominations

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Grammy Awards

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The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States.

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2012 Wish Upon a Star: A Tribute to the Music of Walt Disney Best Pop Instrumental Album Nominated[6]

Other Awards

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  • 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

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  1. ^ U.S. Public Records Index, Vol 1 (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Artist Biography by Rovi Staff". AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  3. ^ "Jenny Oaks Baker". Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Curtis Alumni Offer Ideas for Educating 21st-Century Musicians". Curtis Institute of Music. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  5. ^ "Job and Family Four". jennyoaksbaker.com. Jenny Oaks Baker. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Final Nominations List: 54th Grammy Awards" (PDF). National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Inc. 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  7. ^ "Jenny Oaks Baker — Chart History". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  8. ^ Lloyd, R. Scott (29 March 2014). "Elder Oaks receives Pillar of the Valley Award in Provo". Deseret News. Archived from the original on April 1, 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  9. ^ "Jenny Oaks Baker Shares Testimony", churchofjesuschrist.org, LDS Church, retrieved 3 November 2014
  10. ^ "Nathan Pacheco and Jenny Oaks Baker say performing for President Nelson's birthday broadcast was an 'honor'". Deseret News. 2024-09-10. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  11. ^ Jenny Oaks Baker, Billboard.com, retrieved 3 November 2014
  12. ^ Robinson, Doug (17 June 2014). "Jenny Oaks Baker and a career built for the goodnight kisses". Deseret News. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
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