Vanessa Joy
Born in Minnesota, at four Vanessa started playing the violin, and she performed regularly in orchestras throughout her youth in Minneapolis including “All City Orchestra.” She starred in her first Gilbert and Sullivan Operetta at age 13. She soloed in concerts and also traveled the city to play in many quartets which began an early start to her career performing in front of large audiences.
Vanessa attended Ricks College and then majored in music at BYU. She has held major leads in opera, theatre and musical productions across the United States. She has performed with a variety of prestigious ensembles including; Sweet Adeline’s, Augusta Chamber Singers, CWRU Chorale, concert choirs, madrigal groups, jazz bands, women’s choruses, and show choirs.
She met Marvin Goldstein at a singer/songwriter’s workshop in Phoenix where he was an instructor. At his invitation, Vanessa began to perform with Marvin, a Jewish convert and a terrific pianist. They produced a CD together, “Sweet By and By,” as well as a DVD, titled “Expressions of Christ,” where Joy’s singing has been paired with Greg Olsen paintings of the Savior. Arrangements and piano accompaniment are done by Goldstein.
They have hit not only the LDS market but also the Christian market in a big way and have performed abroad as well as in the U.S. Vanessa has several albums, The Voice, as well as her debut inspirational album, Sweet By and By, and Joy to the World, as well as the DVD, Expressions of Our Savior.
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Recent Posts
Right out of High School into Missionary Work
It was expected that there would be a surge in the number of full-time Mormon missionaries, and then that the number would decrease and level out. That’s not what has happened.
The Piano Guys – Five Mormons Creating Beautiful Music
Plato, the classical Greek philosopher, and the founder of the Academy in Athens, once said concerning music, “Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” That...
The Passing of Phil Kesler from Voice Male
Phil Kesler passed away on February 11th, 2010, from metastatic colorectal cancer. His sweet wife, Heidi, and daughter Eden, were by his side at home as he peacefully passed on. Phil had a love of poetry and music, and was with Voice Male from its beginnings, a...
80 Years of “Music and the Spoken Word”
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is celebrating their 80th year of the popular "Music and the Spoken Word" broadcast. Richard L. Evans (pictured) was the beloved announcer for Music and the Spoken Word from 1930 to 1971. Following Brother Evans, two men have carried the...
LDS “Music and the Spoken Word”
TV/Radio Program Makes History in Europe & AmericaWhen the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on July 15, 2009 will celebrate its 80th year of broadcasting the CBS Network program of Music and the Spoken Word, the longest continuous program in the history of radio...