About Jensen Artists
Photo by Darya Golubina
Founded in 2007 as public relations firm Christina Jensen PR, Jensen Artists expanded in 2015 to include artist management services. Jensen Artists is dedicated to developing the careers and telling the stories of today's most vibrant classical musicians. We are motivated by a desire to illustrate the abundance and appeal of today’s classical music world by sharing our clients’ personalities, creativity, and art with the public.
Founder Christina Jensen has worked in the classical music industry for fifteen years, gaining experience in a variety of areas of the field before founding the firm in 2007. Previously, Christina worked in corporate sponsorship at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, as Director of Community Outreach with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and as orchestra manager and public relations assistant at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Upon moving to New York after finishing graduate school at Boston University, Christina began helping classical musicians who were friends and family with their PR needs. What began as “moonlighting” to make rent in the Big Apple turned into a full time job in 2007 when Christina found herself with too many clients, and not nearly enough sleep. Her earliest major success came later that year, when Simone Dinnerstein’s recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations became a surprise bestseller. Highlights since then have included co-producing a new collaboration among cellist Maya Beiser, dancer Wendy Whelan, and choreographer Lucinda Childs; publicizing André Previn’s 80th birthday season; several Grammy-nominated and Grammy-winning album campaigns; as well as countless world premieres and performances of compelling classical music, new and old, throughout the country.
Christina’s approach values authenticity, strategic creativity, constant evaluation of new communication trends and technology, and a strong work ethic. The fact that her roster, in spite of its growth, has continued to feel like an extended group of friends and family has been an unexpected and highly prized reward of her work.
Christina has been part of panel discussions hosted by organizations including American Composers Orchestra, Association of Music Personnel in Public Radio, Astral Artists, Chamber Music America, and the New York New Music Roundtable. A native of Independence, Missouri, she holds undergraduate degrees in violin performance and communication with a minor in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and received her master's degree in arts administration from Boston University as well as a Certificate in social media marketing from eCornell University.
Director of Artist Bookings Gina Meola integrates her experience with performing arts presenters and knowledge of classical composition to organize performance opportunities for the clients of Jensen Artists. She is a graduate of Fredonia University with a degree in music composition and a concentration in piano performance. During her time at Fredonia, Gina served on the executive board of Ethos New Music Society, a student-run presenting organization of new music for western New York, as archivist, treasurer, vice president, and president.
As a freelance composer and new music enthusiast, Gina continues to write music for soloists, chamber ensembles, and choirs as well as perform new works written by her friends and colleagues. Her interest in artist management evolved from the planning and execution of artist residencies and from the enjoyment she gets from interacting with and learning from world-class artists.
Photo by Ryuhei Shindo
Publicist Kira Grunenberg brings an established career in music journalism and an appreciation for personal communication to her support of Jensen Artists' clients and the sharing of their stories. A prolific writer, she has contributed to the likes of NPR, American Songwriter, DownBeat Magazine, No Depression, and more, as well as running her own digital publication, Throw the Dice and Play Nice – a platform dedicated to highlighting music and art regardless of its style. Kira's experience with publicity was cultivated through a mix of formal study and independent work promoting bands and artists of different genres for placement in print and online media, radio play, and live performances.
Photo by Tara Fazio
Junior Publicist Maya Cassady is a graduate of Georgetown University where she studied American Musical Culture and Mathematics. During her undegraduate career, Maya focused on the power of music in contextualizing and changing culture. Her senior thesis examined how Southern musicians reflect and advocate for grassroots community organizing in the Deep South. She has worked as a Production Assistant for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and a Community Manager for All Things Go Music Festival. Most recently, Maya explored the intersection of broadcast and classical music as an Intern at WQXR, New York Public Radio's classical music station.
Photo by Elise Ferrer