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ABOUT

OFFICIAL BIO: LEARN MORE ABOUT JENNY

Biography

SOPRANO

JENNY KIM-GODFREY

Find access to downloadable press kit materials at the bottom of this page.

Hailed as "...​a fearless and confident performer with a beautiful high voice with excellent flexibility," Korean-American coloratura soprano Jenny Kim-Godfrey is quickly gaining notoriety for her "nightingale tone" (Virginia Zeani) and as "an invigorating stage animal and gifted recitalist... A performer ready to forge new vistas!" (Maestro Gary Thor Wedow, New York Philharmonic). Jenny has concertized throughout the United States, Canada, South Korea, and Italy.

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Kim-Godfrey has been the featured soloist with numerous renowned ensembles, including the Indiana University Pro Arte Singers (Israelitish Woman, Handel's Judas Maccabaeus), the New York Summer Music Festival (Orff's Carmina Burana, Rutter's Requiem), the Catskill Choral Society (Haydn's Grosse Mariazeller Messe), the Bloomington Early Music Festival, the Indiana University Chorale under the baton of Maestro Gary ThorWedow (Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle), the South Shore Symphony (Handel's Messiah), Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra (Holocaust Cantata), Gravenhurst Opera (Guest Artist: Canada debut), Sarasota Pops Orchestra (Guest Artist: Holiday Concert), and most recently made her début with The Florida Orchestra as the featured soloist in their 2019-2020 Family Concert Series.

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Kim-Godfrey has been a prizewinner in the National Vocal Competition in Seoul, Long Island Symphony Concerto Competition, and the Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Competition. Kim-Godfrey was also selected as a finalist for the prestigious Georgina Joshi International Fellowship in 2012 and in 2013 was a finalist in the Joong-Ang Competition - one of the most prestigious in Korea. Jenny won the St. Petersburg Opera Idol and the Sun City Center Opera Idol Competition in 2014 - the first contestant in the history of the competition to win both.

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Kim-Godfrey has performed numerous operatic roles with the Indiana University Opera Theater, including Papagena (Die Zauberflöte), La Conversa (Suor Angelica), and Emmie Spashett (Albert Herring). She has also appeared with the Tanglewood Institute (Flora, The Turn of the Screw), Classical Singing in New York (Marie, La Fille du Régiment), and the Indiana University Early Music Institute (Nymphe de la Seine, Alceste). In 2013, Kim-Godfrey made her Italy debut in a series of concerts with the Classic Lyric Arts, including scenes from Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor), Amina (La Sonnambula), Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro), and Elvira (I Puritani).

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An active proponent of the arts in the Tampa Bay area, Jenny made her company début with St. Petersburg Opera for the 2014/15 season as an Emerging Artist covering Berta in Il Barbiere di Siviglia. She returned to the St. Petersburg Opera as a featured soloist on its "Seasonal Sparkle" Holiday concert series. April of 2016 Jenny sang the title role of "Jenny Lind" with Gloria Musicae (Now known as Choral Artists of Sarasota) for the Florida premiere of Libby Larsen's chamber opera Barnum's Bird, working closely with the composer Ms. Larsen. Summer of 2016, Jenny made her début with Florida Lyric Opera as Luigia in Donizetti's Viva La Mamma, was part of the world premiere performance of Tom Sivak's Doctor Dilligaff's Baboon (winner of the 2016 Rapid Returns Grant). and enjoyed a return engagement with the Choral Artists of Sarasota as the soprano soloist for the Poulenc's Gloria in spring 2017 under the baton of Dr. Joseph Holt. Jenny was a featured soloist with the Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota's La Flûte Enchantée program in spring 2017 and returned to the series twice in 2018 in concerts featuring classical guitarist Dr. Jonathan Godfrey (as part of the Classical guitar-soprano duo Corda Voce), mezzo-soprano Robyn Rocklein, and pianist Dr. Joseph Holt.

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Jenny made her company début with Opera Tampa as a featured soloist in "An Evening with Gilbert & Sullivan" in the summer of 2018, and was seen as a regular performer as an Opera Tampa Singer for the 2018/19 season. Fall of 2018, Jenny turned to her deep passion for Musical Theater, and made her regional theatre début as Mrs. Squires in The Music Man with Asolo Repertory Theatre under the direction of Tony-Award winning director Jeff Calhoun and Tony-nominated music director Steve Orich. Spring of 2019 Jenny returned to GuitarSarasota concert series as a featured artist with  her duo Corda Voce, as well as the soprano soloist for the Brahm's Requiem with the Choral Artists of Sarasota. Jenny is ecstatic to have made her début with The Florida Orchestra as the soprano soloist for Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream 2018/19 season, and has since returned in several seasons as the featured soloist in their Family Concert series.

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Jenny also returned to Asolo Repertory Theatre in December 2020 as a featured artist in their Outdoor Holiday Concert of "We Need a Little Christmas"

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In addition to her work as a performer, Kim-Godfrey is one of the SunCoast's most in-demand voice teachers and most recently served as a faculty at The University of Tampa as an adjunct professor of voice, and was the director of the choral program and chair of the Music Department at Manatee School For the Arts from 2014-2018. Jenny also served as the Director of Operations for the Pops Orchestra of Bradenton and Sarasota. She also served as an Adjunct Faculty and Guest Music Director/Arranger at The University of Albany (SUNY) in the Spring of 2021, in the Film Version Premiere of "Love and Other Destinations".

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Prior to moving back to the US, Jenny taught at Bucheon University and Sehan University in Korea as an adjunct professor in Vocal Performance and Musical Theater. Kim-Godfrey also gave a guest artist benefit recital in Paju City Hall, South Korea in 2013, for the cause of young musicians who wish to pursue their dream of becoming a musician without the means to do so. Jenny is also very passionate about animals, and fosters many needy pets while volunteering at local shelter, and supporting animal rights causes. #AdoptDontShop!​

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Since Spring 2019, Jenny has been a Resident Music Director of Norwegian Creative Studios, and can be spotted sailing around the globe throughout the year. Most recently set sail to the world's most luxurious ship in the world, as an Associate Music Director to three world-premiere productions, working closely with award winning directors and choreographers of HKM Productions.

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Jenny made her debut as a Music Director/Conductor/Orchestrator at Peterborough Players Summer of 2022, and is ecstatic to be returning to Asolo Repertory Theatre in the Spring of 2023 on the other side of the stage as the Music Director/Conductor/Orchestrator in the production of Man of La Mancha!

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Kim-Godfrey holds her Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she studied with Award-Winning Mezzo-Soprano Mary Ann Hart, and two-time Grammy Award winner and Emmy Award-Winner Soprano Sylvia McNair. Jenny also holds her minor in Choral Conducting as well as an outside field in Arts Administration from IU JSoM.

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Last Update: December 2022

Press Kit

Shortened-downloadable Biography coming Soon!

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