Marian Anderson Vocal Award-winner John Holiday is keeping his cards close to his chest. The countertenor and avid poker player knows to be careful with what he reveals.

John Holiday has been brainstorming with producers and writers for an upcoming album and is truly excited gathering ideas for it that represents who he is as an artist and human being.

“If you’ve been looking at my social media, I’ve been kind of quiet. My friends and family know that when I’m quiet, there is definitely something brewing, and that’s the case right now,” Holiday said.

Holiday performs because it is his way to connect with other people and with generations of artists and composers before his time. He also loves to sing and create beauty as it is his sanctuary and comfort zone. Mostly, though, he loves the feeling he gets from sharing the gift of music with others.

“There is truly no greater love that one can get from their audience,” Holiday said. “When an audience is there with you, from beginning to end, and they give you a rapturous applause, it’s like receiving the biggest hug. One that says I understand you…I get you….and I’m grateful for your art.  There is nothing like that, and I, for one, am so thankful that I get to be on the giving and receiving end of that.”

Holiday’s upcoming performances

In the short term, he will be making his role debut as Nerone in Handel’s Agrippina with Houston’s Ars Lyrica in November. 

“Ars Lyrica has been a part of my career ever since the very beginning. For so many reasons, it brings me joy to be back there,” Holiday said, as his family is nearby and can come to see his shows.

Before that begins, Holiday heads to the Bay Area to accept an award as a 2018 Yerba Buena Center for the Arts 100 honoree and perform at the gala and the YBCA 100 Summit. 

After Agrippina is finished, he will head to New York for Handel’s Israel in Egypt with MasterVoices at Carnegie Hall, and then to Ann Arbor for Handel’s Messiah with the University Music Society at University of Michigan. After all of the "Handeling" is done, Holiday will head to Taiwan for the premiere of Huang Ruo’s Paradise Interrupted at the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts.

His impact on the world

Holiday strives each day to make the world a better place than he found it. Oftentimes, he does that by making music, and sometimes he does that by teaching and mentoring the next generation of artists to be their best selves and to leave an indelible mark on this world. 

“I want to be the change that I seek in the world, so I hope I’m able to do that every day,” he added.

To learn more about John Holiday, visit his website.