In her youthful years, Katherine Maria Jenkins won several singing competitions.  Jenkins studied at the Royal Academy of Music. She worked as a model as well as a music and voice teacher. In 2003, she came to the attention of a wider public when she performed at Westminster Cathedral to honor the silver jubilee of Pope John Paul IIe. Beginning in 2004, she has recorded a number of albums that have found success on British and foreign charts. For two years in a row (2005 and 2006), her albums were named Album of the Year at the Classic Brit Awards. She has also given many notable concert performances, such as singing for British armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. She also performed at numerous sports events, on television programs and in support of many charities. She took part  in the U.S. television show Dancing with the Stars in 2012, and won second place.

Education and early career

Jenkins was born in Neath, Wales, in the United Kingdom. She and her sister Laura were raised by their parents Selwyn John and Susan.

She attended Alderman Davies Church in Wales Primary School in Neath, Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School and Gorseinon College. She obtained A grades in her GCSEs and A Levels and performed in musical acts such as Calamity Jane and Guys and Dolls.[7] She studied vocal performance, one of her instructors being John Hugh Thomas. Jenkins passed her Grade 8 examinations with distinction in both singing and piano.

Katherine Jenkins performed as a member of the Royal School of Church Music Cathedral Singers between 1991 and 1996. She received the St Cecilia Award, the highest RSCM award for female choristers. She performed as a member of the National Youth Choir of Wales for three years, twice won the BBC Radio 2 Welsh Choirgirl of the Year contest, and was named the BET Welsh Choirgirl of the Year. She was also the recipient of the Pelenna Valley Male Voice Choir Scholarship for the most promising young singer. At the age of 17 she was awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music, obtaining a diploma in music  graduating with honours.

Katherine Jenkins worked in a number of jobs, including as a freelance voice coach, and a tour guide on the London Eye. In 2000 she entered a modelling competition and was named the Face of Wales 2000. She then pursued a musical career. Universal Classics offered Jenkins a six-album deal, worth £1 million according to reports. This may have been the largest recording deal to date in British classical recording history.

Recording History

Six of Jenkins's seven studio albums reached number one in the UK classical charts between 2004 and 2008, selling a total of more than 4 million records. Her first album, Premiere, gave her the distinction of being the fastest-selling mezzo-soprano to date. Following this, she became the first British classical crossover artist to have two albums reach Number 1 in the charts in the same year. She is the first female artist to win two consecutive Classical BRIT Awards. Her second album, Second Nature, reached number 16 in the UK Albums Chart, and was awarded Album of the Year in the 2005 BRIT Awards.