![]() ![]() According to critic Michael Debbage, “the twin barrels of World and Classical elements with a cutting edge of freshness…will set your musical soul on fire.” In contrast to The Lullaby Album, Illumination ‘s passionate compositions and outspoken orchestration are meant to be played at full volume, enlivening and arousing the listener. Featuring a combination of complex original works and unique classical covers, Illumination represents four years of both expansion and refinement in Thomas’s technical skill and expressive style. In 2012, Thomas released Illumination, her most award-winning album yet. With rich orchestrations on one CD and piano solos on the other, and featuring the talents of Grammy nominated producer/engineer Paul Speer, and Emmy award winning composer Jace Vek, The Lullaby Album has been described as “smooth, polished, and heartfelt from beginning to end.” The duo’s goal was to create an album that parents and children would both enjoy, which explains its diverse popularity. ![]() Thomas’s second album, The Lullaby Album (2009), followed the birth of her first child and as a professional collaboration with her mother, Carolyn Southworth, the two-CD track list features lullabies Southworth sang to Thomas as a baby. Including five adaptations of classical pieces and eight original compositions, the album’s tracks have been praised as “sensually sumptuous,” “experimental and intriguing,” and “exquisite and invigorating.” The album also caught the attention of filmmakers, winning an Audience Choice Award in the 2008 Swan Lake Moving Image and Music Awards in Germany for its use in a short film. Thomas released her debut album, Key of Sea, in 2007, to immediate critical acclaim. However, Thomas is as popular for her emotional and imaginative interpretations as she is for her competence. Her original work draws on her classical training, evident in her highly technical compositions and polished performing style. She describes this process as a discovery: having come from a background of musical perfectionism, the idea that she could “make her own rules” freed her to put her virtuosity at the service of her own creativity.Īs a composer, Thomas falls into the category classical crossover, though her musical interests and inspiration range widely from classical to cinematic, from traditional to experimental. She quickly became a regularly featured soloist, and even drew the attention of the Seattle Symphony, working for a time in their educational department.ĭuring her time at the Seattle Symphony, Thomas began experimenting with her own original compositions. ![]() That versatility distinguished her, both in the academic world, and later as a professional.Īfter earning her degree, Thomas made a name for herself performing, both on the piano and on the violin, with such organizations as Salt Lake City’s Murray Symphony, the Temple Square Concert Series, and the Oregon Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra. During her university training, Thomas performed with the university’s piano ensemble, as well as its symphony, this time on the violin. Throughout her school years, she performed in orchestras and adjudications, eventually making her way to Brigham Young University-Idaho, where she studied piano under the direction of Dr. She began formal music training at age five, studying under her mother, a pianist and composer. Thomas was born in Seattle, Washington, to a musician mother and photographer father. She is equally well known for her classical covers and her emotional instrumental compositions. Jennifer Thomas is an award winning Billboard charting American pianist, violinist, composer, performing artist, recording artist, and endorsed Yamaha artist. ![]()
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