Opera Philadelphia Composer in Residence Tyshawn Sorey is set to present “Save the Boys.” The song cycle is inspired by an 1887 poem by abolitionist, writer, and Black women’s rights activist Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. The 20-minute piece was composed for renowned countertenor John Holiday and pianist Grant Loehnig who will perform the piece for the Opera Philadelphia Channel, launching {…}
On January 23, 92Y School of Music will host “Countertenor-Palooza,” an online discussion featuring some of opera’s leading countertenors. Host Naomi Lewin will be joined by countertenors John Holiday, Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, and Samuel Marino. Making his debut with the Metropolitan Opera next fall in Matthew Aucoin’s “Eurydice,” Holiday recently received national acclaim as a finalist on this year’s season {…}
After competing on the world-renowned television show “The Voice,” countertenor John Holiday obtained fifth place in the competition. The countertenor was among finalists Desz, Jim Ranger, Ian Flanigan, and the ultimate winner Carter Rubin. During the season finale, Holiday performed alongside coach John Legend in Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” For his final solo rounds, he also performed {…}
Opera Philadelphia is set to present Tyshawn Sorey’s “Save the Boys” on Feb. 12, 2021. The showcase will feature countertenor John Holiday, who in addition to a heralded operatic career, has recently made major headlines by his star turn on NBC’s “The Voice.” “Save the Boys” was inspired by an 1887 poem of the same name by Frances Ellen Watkins {…}
(Credit: Tyler Golden) In October, countertenor John Holiday surprised the opera world in a big way. The Texas native who has performed with such companies as the Glimmerglass Festival, Los Angeles Opera, Dutch National Opera, Cincinnati Opera (and will make his Metropolitan Opera debut in 2021), performed in the blind auditions for hit TV show “The Voice.” Performing “Misty” by {…}
Boston Baroque has released its 2017 production of “Giulio Cesare” on its streaming service. The opera will be available for free over the next 30 days. The production stars Lawrence Zazzo in the title role with Susanna Phillips as Cleopatra. John Holiday stars as Tolomeo with mezzo-soprano Ann McMahon Quintero as Cornelia, Jennifer Rivera as Sesto, and music director Martin {…}
John Holiday won the Battle Rounds on “The Voice.” During the Nov. 10 episode, Holiday went head-to-head with teammate Julia Cooper singing a duet of “Summer Soft” by Stevie Wonder. The performance amazed the mentors with Gwen Stefani noting, “I have no words for you. I don’t even understand how you’re real.” Holiday went on to beat out Cooper with {…}
Famed countertenor John Holiday has scored a major success on NBC’s “The Voice.” The countertenor provided a blind audition of “Misty” by Ella Fitzgerald, captivating three of the four judges. He ultimately opted for Team Legend. “Us Johns gotta stick together,” said John Legend as he attempted to win over the countertenor to his side. “I’m thrilled and honored to {…}
(Credit: Fay Fox) Trinity Church Wall Street has announced the launch of a new, concert-streaming series, titled “Comfort at One.” The series will draw upon past performances in the venue, professionally filmed in HD, as well as new home-based performances. Mondays and Thursdays will feature “Bach + One” choral concerts and “Pipes at One” organ recitals, respectively. Tuesdays and Wednesdays {…}
The Artist Relief Tree has announced that it is moving into phase two of its fundraising efforts to reach over $1,000,000. The organizers behind the effort recently announced that the fundraiser, which aims to pay each artist of any discipline $250 during the COVID-19 crisis, has already managed to raise over $200,000. Leading the effort is Amanda Palmer, who is {…}
There is a famous painting by Gustave Moreau called “Thracian Girl Carrying the Head of Orpheus on His Lyre” from 1865. The foreground shows exactly what the title describes. The background is harder to make out: some people are gathered on a cliff, one of them playing an aulos. Small tortoises walk near the Thracian woman’s feet, happily sauntering about {…}