Jeanette Micklem was born in South Africa, but moved to Zimbabwe with her family at an early age. Educated in Zimbabwe, she was awarded scholarships for both academic and musical pursuits, and has an Honours degree in History from London University . Having achieved Performer Licentiate diplomas in both flute and piano from the British Royal Schools of Music, she was awarded a four year scholarship at the Royal College of Music in London, studying under pianist Bernard Roberts.

Jeanette returned to Zimbabwe and made her name as a performer, an accompanist and teacher. She has performed  throughout Zimbabwe, as well as in South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Malawi. She has partnered many international artistes in this region including Pierre Amoyal, Hagai Shaham, Tasmin Little, Ivry Gitlis and Nokuthula Ngwenyama (strings), Alain Marion, Wissam Boustany, Susan Milan and Emma Johnson (winds). Most recently she has accompanied New York mezzo-soprano Barbara Fusco, Spanish tenor Alvaro Vallejo, and South African 'cellist Peter Martens. She has also appeared at the Grahamstown Music Festival (with Pierre Amoyal), with the SABC Symphony Orchestra, and the Pietermaritzburg Orchestra as well as music societies in Johannesburg, Cape Town,  Durban and other centres.

In 1988 Jeanette toured Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, and Russia (playing with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra ). Since then she has returned regularly to the Czech Republic and was a permanent member of the jury for the International Smetana Piano Competition for over a decade.

In 1990, Jeanette was invited to play with Musica Viva of New York. In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of Zimbabwe's Independence, she played in Paul Renan's "Mwari Mukuru", a work for mbira, piano, orchestra and chorus - a world premiere which was performed in New York. Since then she has been a regular soloist with Musica Viva playing works ranging from Mozart to Vaughan Williams, Bruce Saylor and Shostakovich.  She has also performed in Canada and in Chicago where she premiered Paul Renan's piano concerto "Antiphones". She has given piano recitals in Maryland, Virginia, Connecticut, and on Long Island. A more recent innovation has been her multi-media presentations on Zimbabwe and its music for a number of universities, schools and music societies.

In 1998 Jeanette visited Australia and New Zealand where she broadcast live with orchestra from Melbourne and performed the Beethoven's last three sonatas.  She also gave this performance in Oxford's Holywell Music Room, along with other performances in England . She has given radio performances in Australia, Bulgaria, the Czech republic, and in South Africa. Jeanette has appeared regularly for HIFA (Harare International Festival of the Arts) and also for the Bulawayo Music Festival. She has worked with mbira players Ephat Mujuru and Dumisani Maraire, both fellow Zimbabweans, at HIFA and in New York.

She is a member of the Board of the Zimbabwe College of Music where she also chairs the Academic Committee and, as a teacher, her pupils have won competitions both locally and internationally.