Jazmine Is an upcoming Junior at the Eastman School of Music. She is a native Rochesterian and began singing at 3 years old. By the 9^th  grade she knew she was interested in becoming an opera singer thanks to her exposure to classical music at Greece Odyssey Academy. She has had many opportunities to develop her artistic talents: with 14 years in dance schools including the Rochester City Ballet, 9 years of clarinet lessons, and ongoing participation in school choirs, church choirs and voice lessons. Beginning at age 6, Jazmine was actively involved in musical theater through RAPA (The Rochester Association of Performing Arts) and throughout middle school and high school. Born and raised at Faith Church, Jazmine has been exposed to gospel, contemporary gospel, and contemporary Christian music all of her life. By age 17, she became a worship leader at Faith Church and is actively involved in the worship ministry. For a time she struggled with whether she would be a worship leader or opera singer until she realized that she could do both. In addition to gospel and praise and worship music, Jazmine’s favorite music to sing is Italian opera (especially “Bel Canto” style), and Verdi art songs. In the 11^th grade Jazmine participated in the Young Artist Auditions, the region’s most prestigious competition for high school age musicians hosted by the Rochester Philharmonic League, and won the Tessa Martin Award for Female Vocalists. She was accepted by 5 music schools and chose to attend the Eastman School of Music in 2018 because of her previous involvement with and fondness for the school.

Jazmine is a vocal performance major at the Eastman School of Music, studying with Robert Swensen. After beginning as a mezzo-soprano, she moved up to soprano during her first year and delivered one of the most outstanding final juries in the Spring of 2019. Last summer, she participated in the Italian language program Si Parla Si Canta, in Arona, Italy, having been awarded a Friends of Eastman Opera opportunity grant. As a freshman in the Fall of 2018, Jazmine became a member of the Eastman Chorale, under the direction of William Weinert. She was selected to sing the soprano solos in Bach Cantata 114 in October, 2019, as the only undergraduate soloist alongside three graduate students featured on that work, performed at Reformation Lutheran Church.

In January of this year, 2020, Jazmine was one of the featured performers for the William Warfield Scholarship Fund special event, “An Intimate Afternoon with George Shirley”, held as part of the celebration of Mr. Shirley’s lifetime achievements. That same week, she participated in events related to the faculty search for a new voice teacher at Eastman. All that month, Jazmine was in rehearsals as the cover for the role of Tonina in Eastman Opera Theatre’s production of Prima la Musica e Poi le Parole, a comic opera by Antonio Salieri. She was called to perform on very short notice in one of the final dress rehearsals and sang and acted with utmost confidence. Finally, Jazmine was cast in the ensemble for Sweeney Todd, Eastman’s spring opera production that had to be cancelled due to COVID-19. Jazmine maintains a 4.0 grade point average and is active with “Black Students at Eastman”.