Katie Jenkins is a multi-award-winning Welsh composer based between the UK and New York City, renowned for her distinctive sound—evocative of her Welsh heritage and infused with the energy of New York City. A dedicated cultural ambassador, Jenkins has made it her mission to bring Welsh classical music and identity to the forefront of the global stage at the highest level. She is also in the process of creating a new symphonic commission for The Welsh Government: A Gift of Music, celebrating 250 years of American Independence for soloist Sir Bryn Terfel and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, with lyrics by the National Poet of Wales.
In 2026, she released her orchestral debut single A Solar Symphony, recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios with Musica Solis. Her work has been presented at major international institutions including NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (feature film score for Wright of Passage), New York Fashion Week (runway music for designer Bad Binch Tong Tong), and the New York Choreographic Institute at the New York City Ballet (with choreographer Julia Feldman).
Her orchestral compositions have been performed commissioned by renowned ensembles such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios; The Academy of St Martin in the Fields at AIR Studios (Dance of The Caribou), where she collaborated with internationally acclaimed pianist Chloe Flower (Cariad); the Juilliard Orchestra at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center; and the Hallé Youth Orchestra (Awakening). She has also worked with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and San Diego Symphony Orchestra, orchestrating Shaggy: Mr. Symphonic in collaboration with David Ludwig; the Albany Symphony Orchestra (This Land of Ours: Song Cycle); the Butler Symphony Orchestra (Hiraeth); and the Second Ending Ensemble at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Appel Room (A Solar Symphony).
She has been commissioned by leading dance organizations including Pointeworks, where Jenkins is now Composer-in-Residence (2026), collaborating with choreographers from companies such as Ballet West, Texas Ballet Theatre, and Houston Ballet. Other dance collaborations include Revolve Dance Project, Stefanie Nelson Dance Group, and Chamber Dance Project. Jenkins was recently awarded the American Prize in Composition for her original musical This Land of Ours (2024).
Jenkins earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in composition from The Juilliard School, where she studied under Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Melinda Wagner and held the Henry Mancini Fellowship. She is currently on faculty at Juilliard Pre-College, where she teaches screen scoring and music production, and at The Juilliard School, where she produces the Art of the Score program. She also serves on the NYC Steering Committee of the Society of Composers and Lyricists.
Jenkins is currently under commission from the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, with a Carnegie Hall debut scheduled for November 2026.
July 2026
https://www.katiejenkinscomposer.com
Composer
