UK School of Music Scholarships and Grants

Phyllis Jenness Vocal Scholarship

Professor Emeritus Phyllis Jenness came to the University of Kentucky in 1954 after singing professionally for six years in New York. At UK she primarily taught voice, but also ventured into teaching vocal literature and choral conducting, as well as even directing the Women's Glee Club.  She performed regularly throughout her tenure at UK, singing at least one recital per year, plus concert and oratorio appearances throughout Kentucky and surrounding states. Around 1955 she initiated opera as part of the curriculum at UK, organizing performances of short scenes and one-act operas until the first full-scale production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro in 1976.  From then on she directed yearly opera productions until 1989, shortly before retiring in 1993. Recipients shall be outstanding undergraduate or graduate voice majors with exceptional talent, dedicated to music and singing as demonstrated by audition. Renewable with a 3.00 GPA. Established in 1993.

Professor Jenness was also the founding director of The Lexington Singers in 1958 and continued as director until 1976.  For several years, the Singers performed annually with the Cincinnati Symphony. For a five-year term in the early 1990s, Professor Jenness served as Artistic Director of Opera of Central Kentucky and oversaw productions of Gian Carlo Menotti's  The Medium and The Telephone, and Joseph Baber's Samson and the Witch.  She is a lifetime member of the Lexington Opera Society Board, which was an outgrowth of the Opera of Central Kentucky.

For nearly 40 years Professor Phyllis Jenness was a central figure in vocal studies at the University of Kentucky. In addition to instructing hundreds of singers on the art and techniques of vocal production, she instituted opera at the University, starting short scenes and one-art operas as early as 1955. In 1976 she started the first full-scale productions of opera at UK with Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro and directly opera regularly until 1989. Professor Jenness was also the founding director of The Lexington Singers, serving as director for nearly 20 years from its inception in 1958 to 1976.  Furthermore, she served a five-year term as Artistic Director of Opera of Central Kentucky.