ABOUT

JENNIFER THOMAS – Composer, Pianist,
Violinist, Performing, Recording Artist, & Cinematic Storyteller

A versatile and multi-award-winning American pianist, violinist, and composer, Jennifer Thomas has built a remarkable career at the intersection of classical tradition and cinematic storytelling. Known for her virtuosic performances, emotional depth, and genre-defying compositions, she has become one of the most distinctive voices in modern classical crossover music.

Before embarking on her solo career, Jennifer performed as a concert soloist with symphonies and orchestras across the United States, captivating audiences with her expressive playing and magnetic stage presence. In 2007, she struck out on her own as an independent recording artist, combining her passion for classical mastery with a cinematic sensibility that would become her signature style.

Jennifer’s music has found international acclaim, consistently appearing on the Billboard Classical and Classical Crossover charts, as well as topping the Amazon and iTunes Classical charts. Her compositions have been featured in film, television, and global sporting events, particularly in the world of figure skating, where her pieces have become favorites of elite skaters and choreographers. Her work was featured in both the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, a testament to the emotional power and global reach of her sound.

Early Life and Musical Foundations

A native of the Pacific Northwest, Jennifer began formal piano and violin lessons at the age of five, guided by her mother — herself a pianist and composer. Surrounded by music from an early age, Jennifer’s childhood was steeped in creativity and discipline, laying the foundation for the multi-instrumental artistry that defines her career today.

She studied piano performance at Brigham Young University–Idaho, where she played violin in the university symphony and performed with the piano ensemble. After graduating, she became an in-demand musician, performing with ensembles including the Murray Symphony (Salt Lake City), the Temple Square Concert Series, and the Oregon Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra. She also worked for the Seattle Symphony’s education department, where she deepened her understanding of orchestral collaboration and composition.

During this time, Jennifer began writing her own music — blending her classical roots with cinematic textures inspired by film scores. Her compositions married the sophistication of classical structure with the emotional immediacy of modern storytelling, setting her apart from contemporaries and helping define the genre now known as cinematic classical crossover.

Artistry, Albums, and Achievements

Jennifer has released eight studio albums to date, each reflecting a deep sense of narrative, emotion, and craft. Her most recent work, Oceans (2024), debuted at #3 on the Billboard Classical Crossover chart, #1 on Amazon Classical, and #1 on iTunes Classical. The track “Underwater Carnival Ride” from Oceans earned the Best Contemporary Classical Award at the 2024 Hollywood Independent Music Awards.

Her 2018 album, The Fire Within, marked another defining moment in her career. The album’s bold music video — featuring Jennifer performing on a burning piano — became a viral sensation and sparked widespread conversation across the classical and cinematic music communities. While traditional purists were startled by the imagery, fans and critics praised the fearless symbolism: a visual embodiment of passion, risk, and artistic rebirth.

Over the years, Jennifer’s music has been enjoyed in concert halls from Carnegie Hall to Benaroya Hall, both as a solo artist and alongside full symphony orchestras. Her compositions have earned numerous international awards, and her videos have been celebrated for their lush cinematography and storytelling. Across digital platforms, her music has been streamed nearly a billion times worldwide, placing her among the top 0.05% of most-listened-to artists on Pandora — an extraordinary milestone for an independent composer.

Creative Vision and Industry Presence

As both a composer and producer, Jennifer is deeply involved in every stage of her creative process. She produces all of her music independently through her own label, maintaining complete artistic control while collaborating with world-class engineers, orchestras, and visual artists.

Her work spans not just albums but also large-scale collaborations across multiple industries. She is represented by the Avex Entertainment Record Label in Asia, contributes to Warner Chappell Music’s Epic Women Project, and has forthcoming projects with Audio Network in London, composing for film and television.

A proud advocate for women in music, Jennifer is an active member of the Recording Academy (NARAS), the Alliance of Women Film Composers, and ASCAP. She is also an official Yamaha Artist, performing exclusively on Yamaha pianos for her recordings and concerts.

Concert Performances and Cinematic Storytelling

Jennifer’s rare live performances are more than concerts — they are immersive cinematic experiences. Blending storytelling, visual media, and orchestral arrangements, her shows blur the line between film and live performance.

Her 2025 concert, OCEANS Live at Field Arts Hall, was a one-night-only event that brought her music to life through projected visuals, custom lighting, and a surround-sound audio presentation. Accompanied by two violinists and a cellist, Jennifer performed pieces from Oceans, The Fire Within, and Illumination before a sold-out audience. The concert — her only live performance of 2025 — was later released as a digitally streamed concert film, allowing fans around the world to experience the magic of the event from home.

Style, Themes, and Influence

Jennifer’s music is instantly recognizable for its emotional depth, cinematic scope, and technical precision. Drawing inspiration from nature, mythology, human resilience, and her own life experiences, her work often explores themes of transformation, courage, and authenticity.

Her compositions combine classical orchestration, piano virtuosity, and modern cinematic production, creating music that feels both timeless and contemporary. Listeners often describe her sound as “film score meets fine art,” where grand, sweeping melodies coexist with moments of quiet introspection.

Beyond her recordings, Jennifer has built a reputation as a visual storyteller through her self-produced Artist Cinematic Vlog and docu-series, which chronicle her life as a composer, performer, and mother on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. These films offer audiences a behind-the-scenes look into her creative process, blending breathtaking Pacific Northwest landscapes with the emotional arc of artistry and personal growth.

Legacy and Personal Life

Jennifer’s commitment to authenticity — in her music, her performances, and her storytelling — has earned her a deeply loyal global following. Her ability to merge technical mastery with emotional truth has inspired countless young musicians and composers to pursue their art fearlessly.

She currently lives in Sequim, Washington, on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula, with her husband Will and their three sons. When she’s not composing or performing, she can often be found exploring the forests, mountains, and coastline that inspire much of her music.

Through her albums, films, and performances, Jennifer continues to redefine what it means to be a modern classical artist — one who creates not only for the ear, but for the heart, the eyes, and the imagination.