John Holiday

Appointed Fall 2023

Countertenor John Holiday has established himself as “one of the finest countertenors of his generation” (Los Angeles Times). His voice has been praised as “a thing of astonishing beauty” (New Yorker), “arrestingly powerful, secure and dramatically high” (Wall Street Journal), and “timeless” (Washington Post). Holiday’s unique voice and powerful story have been the subject of profiles in The New Yorker, CNN’s Great Big Story, Los Angeles Times, and more.

Highlights for Holiday's 2024-25 season include a debut in the role of Farnace in Mitridate, re di Ponto at Boston Lyric Opera in a production by James Darrah. In March 2025, he will debut as the title role of Akhnaten in a new Barrie Kosky production of a work from the opera trilogy by Philip Glass at Komische Oper Berlin. Holiday will return to the Bayerische Staatsoper in two titles: Le Grand Macabre in October and Dido and Aeneas in July 2025, and will embark on a tour with The English Concert and Harry Bicket of Giulio Cesare in the role of Tolomeo at venues including Carnegie Hall, the Barbican and more. He will perform alongside the San Francisco Symphony, the New Jersey Symphony, the Apollo Chamber Players, and perform a solo recital at the Wolf Trap Foundation of the Performing Arts. He will also give a a performance on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series as and will appear on an episode of NPR's Amplify with Lara Downes.

Holiday began his 2023-24 season as a featured soloist with the Handel and Haydn Society for a performance of Handel's Messiah. The season continued in January 2024 with Handel's Agrippina with the Dutch National Opera, where Holiday performed the role of Nerone. He performed at Washington Adventist University in a recital alongside world-renowned bass Morris Robinson, as well as Brandie Sutton, Aaron Crouch and more, followed by a solo recital at Pensacola Opera. Holiday was featured at Jazz at Lincoln Center for an American Songbook recital, and joined the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra to perform Pergolesi's Stabat Mater in a program conducted by Jaime Martín also featuring soprano Amanda Forsythe. At PACNYC, in conjunction with Trinity Church Wall Street, Holiday was a featured soloist in the premiere of Luna Pearl Woolf's Oratorio in April, and returned to The Metropolitan Opera to reprise his roles in the restaging of Kevin Puts’s The Hours following last season's acclaimed premiere. Holiday performed at Bayerische Staatsoper (Bavarian State Opera) in the role of Prince Go-Go in György Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre, and also appeared at Arizona Opera and the University of Michigan for recitals and masterclasses.

In his 2022-23 season, Holiday was a featured artist with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles. He performed as the title role in Claire van Kampen's production of Idaspe, followed by a screening and streaming release of his acclaimed film After/Glow. Holiday also made his return to The Metropolitan Opera as the Man Under Arch and Hotel Clerk roles for the stage premiere of Kevin Puts’s The Hours. He debuted as a featured artist in the world premiere of Four Portraits at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and starred in a production of We Shall Not Be Moved, directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winner and Kennedy Center Honoree Bill T. Jones.

An acclaimed concert singer, Holiday has performed at world-renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, London’s Barbican Center, and the Philharmonie de Paris. His career highlights include a tour with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic; the Sorceress in Barrie Kosky’s production of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, and the world premiere of Matthew Aucoin’s Eurydice creating the role of Orpheus’s Double at the Los Angeles Opera; the world premiere of Daniel Bernard Roumain’s We Shall Not Be Moved creating the role of John Blue with Opera Philadelphia, The Apollo and the Dutch National Opera; title role in Xerxes at the Glimmerglass Festival; and Caesar in Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto at Wolf Trap Opera. In addition to the traditional concert performances and recitals, Holiday has curated The John Holiday Experience (JHE) to showcase his affinity and talent for many different genres that includes classical, pop, jazz, and R&B. He has performed the program on a national scale, bringing it to Dallas, Des Moines, and Dayton, with plans to continue the eclectic evening of song in his upcoming seasons.

Outside of classical repertoire, Holiday excels in jazz, gospel, and pop music having opened for Grammy award winner Jason Mraz in concert. In 2018, Holiday sang the national anthem for his hometown team the Houston Rockets, and in 2019, Holiday performed at the star-studded Ozwald Boateng Harlem Runway Show at The Apollo Theater, in a performance that was covered by Vogue, Forbes, and CNN, and attended by celebrities Jamie Foxx, Idris Elba, Dapper Dan and others. Additionally, in 2019 Holiday performed Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” at the Apollo Theater Spring Gala.

Holiday has been the recipient of numerous major competitions and award programs such as the 2017 Marian Anderson Vocal Award; the 2014 Richard Tucker Foundation’s Sara Tucker award; first place at the 2013 Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition, the 2012 Sullivan Foundation, and the 2011 Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition; and third place winner in the 2014 OPERALIA competition. In addition, Holiday was selected among WQXR’s prestigious 20 for ‘20 Artists to Watch, named one of BroadwayWorld’s “New York Opera Gifts that Keep on Giving,” nominated for “Newcomer of the Year” by the German magazine Opernwelt, and listed as one of Yerba Buena Center for the Arts 100 honorees for 2018. In May 2023, Holiday announced his appointment as an Associate Professor of Voice at the University of Maryland School of Music beginning in Fall 2023.

John Holiday received a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, a Master of Music in vocal performance from the University of Cincinnati College – Conservatory of Music and the Artist Diploma in Opera Studies from The Juilliard School in New York City. Holiday grew up in Rosenberg, Texas, located near Houston, and attended the town’s public schools in Lamar Consolidated Independent School District.

Holiday's students have gone on to graduate studies at Southern Methodist University,  Manhattan School of Music, Frost School of Music, Arizona State University, New York  University, University of Houston, Montclair State University, Pepperdine University, The  Boston Conservatory, The University of Washington, The University of Texas, Morehouse and  Houston Grand Opera High School Studio. John has also had winners of the Metropolitan Opera  National Council Auditions, the Central New York Finger Lakes region; Wisconsin Region; and Maryland / DC Region of  The National Association of Teachers of Singing. This season, you will see students of  Holiday, in leading roles, on regional and national stages, including The Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera, The Dallas Opera, Des  Moines Metro Opera, Opera Theater of St. Louis, Opera in Ozarks, Cider Mill Playhouse, New London Barn Playhouse, Ohio Light Opera, Opera NEO, Park Playhouse, Utah Opera Festival, The Glimmerglass Festival, the Brevard Music Center, Red River Lyric Opera, Seagle Festival Opera and on tour with Ain't Too Proud: The Musical, Some Like It Hot, The Wiz and more.  Students of Holiday are members of the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.

Prior to Holiday’s appointment at The School of Music at The University of Maryland, he served on the faculty of The Conservatory of Music at Lawrence University faculty, from 2017 - 2023, and The Ithaca College School of Music voice faculty, from 2015 - 2017. A frequently sought after adjudicator and teacher, he has presented masterclasses around the world at The Kinder  High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Southlake High School, Chicago SPA, East Carolina University,  The Juilliard School, The Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, Southern Methodist  University: Meadows School of the Arts, Oakland University, University of Michigan School of  Music, Fort Worth Opera Studio Artists Masterclass, University of California - Irvine, Mary  Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University, National Association of Teachers of Singing  (NATS) National Conference - CHICAGO, NATS - DFW Chapter, SUNY - Fredonia, Santa Fe Opera High School Studio, Macau Polytechnic Institute, John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State  University and served as head judge, for the Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition.  Regularly, he serves as a judge for the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, by the invitation of Melissa Wagner.  

From Professor Holiday: “If you’re interested in attending The School of Music at University of  Maryland, throughout the year, I will be available for consultation lessons, which may be  arranged through the admissions department. If you have any subsequent questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me via the ADMISSIONS office.  On every correspondence, please copy your assigned admissions counselor. Many thanks!”