Jessica Menke is a vocalist of all styles. She was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, in a musical family. She attended Lavilla and Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and, in the summer of 2007, while still in high school, Jessica attended the Advanced Vocal Program at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Traverse City, Michigan. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Voice Performance from the University of North Florida. Jessica made her first oratorio appearance as the soprano soloist in the Benedictus Quartet from Mozart’s Requiem with the UNF Mozart Mentor’s Orchestra. In 2011, Jessica traveled without a group to Salzburg, Austria, and attended the Mozarteum’s International Summer Academy where Barbara Bonney was giving masterclasses. In 2012, Jessica performed as Despina in Mozart’s Così fan tutte with the North Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, taking part in UNF’s Summer Opera Program in the Czech Republic. She also participated in the Harrower Summer Workshop in Atlanta, Georgia, where she sang in the chorus of Georgia State University’s Tales of Hoffmann by Offenbach and performed in opera scenes. In the autumn of 2012, Jessica studied with baritone Gerald Finley’s teacher, Gary Coward, at the English National Opera while studying at Florida State University’s London Study Centre before completing her degree at UNF. Following graduation in 2014, Jessica traveled with her teacher, Marilyn Mims, to Paris to attend the Paris International Summer Sessions École Normale. Jessica’s move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, at the end of 2014, gave her the opportunity to study voice with Metropolitan Opera singer, Stanford Olsen. While in Michigan, Jessica sang the role of The Diva (as a young artist) in Pittsfield Opera Theatre’s La Divina. She was also a guest singer at the Zal Gaz Grotto Club with both the Paul Klinger and the Paul Keller Jazz Orchestras. Additionally, Jessica has regularly performed in church. Before relocating to Tallahassee, Ms. Menke resided in Jacksonville, where she and her mother, Carolyn Menke, established a private music studio. Currently, Jessica is studying Music Education at Florida State University and plans to complete a second bachelor’s degree in the Fall of 2019.