Jennifer Jones

jennifer jones

Jennifer Jones was born in Ottawa, Ontario, but has lived most of her life in Halifax. She received her early musical training from Jean Fraser at the Maritime Conservatory of Music. She continued with Philippe Djokic at Dalhousie University where she won the first University Medal in Music. She then obtained a Master of Music degree in Performance and Pedagogy at Indiana University, under the direction of Josef Gingold. Two other influential teachers at Indiana were Rostislav Dubinsky (chamber music) and Mimi Zeig (pedagogy). Following her studies at Indiana, Jennifer travelled to France where she studied with Sylvie Gazeau of the Paris Conservatoire.

During many summer studies, Jennifer worked with such inspiring teachers and performers as Lorand Fenyves (Banff), David Cerone (Ohio), Sylvia Rosenberg (Banff), Luis Grinhauz (NYO), Yehudi Menuhin, and Nigel Kennedy (Halifax).

Jennifer has performed as a soloist with the NSYO, Dalhousie Chamber Orchestra, Chebucto Orchestra, Saint John Symphony and Symphony Nova Scotia. Over the past two decades her work as a chamber musician has frequently been recorded by the CBC. She has performed at the Gerhart Chamber Music Festival in Alabama, the Salisbury Summer Institute in England, the Arcadia Music Festival in Maine, the Scotia Festival of Music, the Fredericton Music Festival, and many years at the Indian River Music Festival in Prince Edward Island.

Jennifer has a passion for teaching and is a well recognized violin teacher. Early in her career she spent time taking Suzuki teacher training in Kingston, Ontario where she worked with Helen Brunner-Spira. Throughout her career she has maintained a busy private studio. She has also been faculty member of Acadia University and the Maritime Conservatory of the Performing Arts. One of her greatest pleasures is coaching members of the NSYO. She has adjudicated exams and festivals and has been on the faculty of various summer institutes throughout the Maritimes.

Symphony Nova Scotia is where Jennifer devotes most of her energy as she enjoys her work under the direction of Bernhard Gueller and the collaboration with so many fine musicians. Another of her musical endeavours is her widely varying and exciting work as first violinist with the Blue Engine String Quartet. Since its inception in 1997, the quartet has performed some of the most interesting chamber music performances on the East Coast. In 2005 the quartet, along with singer Cliff Le Jeune, released a CD entitled If It Be Your Will… Songs of Leonard Cohen and soon the quartet will release a CD of Christmas music. The history and upcoming events of the Blue Engine String Quartet are available at www.blueenginestringquartet.com.

When not performing or teaching, Jennifer enjoys time with her son Noah, her husband Jamie and their golden retriever, Belle.