Countertenor John Holiday To Release Debut Album 'Over My Head' on PENTATONE

On Friday, July 17, 2026, PENTATONE releases Over My Head, the stunning debut album from acclaimed countertenor John Holiday.

A striking and deeply personal statement of artistic identity, the album brings together spirituals, contemporary works, and art song in a program shaped by faith, love, and expressive individuality. Joined by pianist and close collaborator Kevin miller, Holiday traverses a rich and stirring musical landscape of works by Hall Johnson, Robert L. Morris, H. Leslie Adams, world premiere recordings of music by Theo Morrison and Carlos Simon, and arrangements by Holiday himself.

Rooted in what Holiday calls "Love in the Key of Resilience," Over My Head is an album long in the making and a presentation of his most authentic self. The repertoire was chosen for its powerful messages of hope and resilience, and for its ability to reach listeners with openness, intimacy, and conviction. The title speaks to the album's emotional center, evoking both surrender and transcendence, and finds its fullest expression in the closing arrangement of spirituals Over My Head and Amazing Grace.

Holiday writes in the album booklet, "If you are in search of love, beauty, peace, or comfort in the midst of heartache, my sincerest hope is that this album serves as a beacon of light, guiding you toward those experiences. I find my truest happiness on stage, pouring my heart out to my audience, and with Over My Head, I aimed to recreate that connection." Heard as a whole, the program unfolds as a personal journey through devotion, longing, memory, grief, and consolation, culminating in a final gesture of grace.

The album opens with Hall Johnson's I'm Gonter Tell God All O' My Troubles and unfolds through a wide-ranging program of Theo Morrison's James Joyce settings; three world premieres by Carlos Simon in the freeform "vocalise" style; Robert L. Morris's Lyric Suite; Holiday's own arrangements of Fly Me to the Moon, Summertime, Strange Fruit, and Over My Head and Amazing Grace; and four songs by H. Leslie Adams: Prayer, The Heart of a Woman, Night Song, and Sence You Went Away. Together, these works honor a rich musical lineage while illuminating Holiday's singular voice as both interpreter and curator. Reflecting the breadth of an artist equally at home in opera, recital, American song, and contemporary repertoire, Over My Head offers both a deeply personal statement and a distinctive contribution to the recorded vocal canon.

PENTATONE launches the album with a digital rollout beginning May 22, 2026 with Holiday's arrangement of Strange Fruit, followed on June 26 by Theo Morrison's I Hear an Army Charging Upon the Land. The release-day focus track is Holiday's arrangement of Over My Head and Amazing Grace.

The album was recorded between November 20 and 23, 2024, at WGBH studios in Boston, Massachusetts.

Over My Head Tracklist

Hall Johnson (1888-1970)
1. I'm Gonter Tell God All O' My Troubles (4:18)

Carlos Simon (b. 1986)
2. VOCALISE I (4:18)

Theo Morrison (b. 1938)
3. Strings in the Earth and Air (1:54)
4. O Cool is the Valley Now (2:15)
5. Lightly Come or Lightly Go (0:50)
6. Now, O Now, in this Brown Land (4:41)
7. I Hear an Army Charging Upon the Land (2:32)

Carlos Simon
8. VOCALISE II (4:01)

Robert L. Morris (b. 1943)
9. Humoresque (2:02)
10. Gospel Blues (4:13)
11. Juba: Ev'rytime I Feel the Spirit (2:08)

Arr. John Holiday, Jr. (b. 1985)
12. Fly Me to the Moon (3:41)
13. Summertime (3:27)

Carlos Simon
14. VOCALISE III (2:16)

Arr. John Holiday, Jr.
15. Strange Fruit (3:23)

H. Leslie Adams (1932-2024)
16. Prayer (3:03)
17. The Heart of a Woman (2:34)
18. Night Song (2:06)
19. Sence You Went Away (4:38)

Arr. John Holiday, Jr.
20. Over My Head and Amazing Grace (5:44)

John Holiday, countertenor
Kevin miller, piano

John Holiday is a distinctive and versatile artist, praised as "one of the finest countertenors of his generation" (Los Angeles Times) and for singing that is "arrestingly powerful, secure and dramatically high" (The Wall Street Journal). Moving fluidly between Baroque repertoire, contemporary opera, and American song with technical assurance, stylistic authority, and remarkable storytelling ability, he has been described by The Guardian as "a natural stage presence with a gloriously rich and pure sound." His unique artistry and personal story have been the subject of major national profiles in The New York Times, The New Yorker, CNN's Great Big Story, the Los Angeles Times, and NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series.

Holiday's 2025-26 season includes his debut at Washington National Opera in Le nozze di Figaro (Cherubino), alongside major returns to LA Opera in the title role of Philip Glass's Akhnaten and to the Bayerische Staatsoper in Strauss's Die Fledermaus (Prince Orlovsky) and Handel's Alcina (Ruggiero). On the concert stage, he appears with the New York Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and Madison Symphony, and curated and led a concert with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, highlighting repertoire from the Great American Songbook. A dedicated recitalist, Holiday appears at Spivey Hall, Susquehanna University, and with the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance.

Recent highlights include major role and house debuts on leading international stages. Holiday debuted as Farnace in Mitridate, re di Ponto at Boston Lyric Opera in a production by James Darrah, and performed the title role of Akhnaten in a new production by Barrie Kosky at Komische Oper Berlin. He made his debut at the BBC Proms in Joe Hisaishi's End of the World, and toured internationally with The English Concert as Tolomeo in Giulio Cesare, with performances at Carnegie Hall and London's Barbican Centre.

Holiday has appeared with major opera houses and orchestras, including the Bayerische Staatsoper, Dutch National Opera, and The Metropolitan Opera, and in concert with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel, the San Francisco Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Handel and Haydn Society, and Amsterdam Sinfonietta. Additional career highlights include the title role in Xerxes at the Glimmerglass Festival and cross-genre projects ranging from The John Holiday Experience to performances at The Apollo Theater.

A committed advocate for new music and interdisciplinary work, Holiday has been featured in multiple world premieres, including the world premiere of Kevin Puts's The Hours at The Metropolitan Opera, Four Portraits at Lyric Opera of Chicago; Luna Pearl Woolf's Oratorio at PACNYC in collaboration with Trinity Church Wall Street; Matthew Aucoin's Eurydice at LA Opera; and Daniel Bernard Roumain's We Shall Not Be Moved with Opera Philadelphia and Dutch National Opera.

Holiday is the recipient of the Marian Anderson Vocal Award, the Richard Tucker Foundation's Sara Tucker Award, and first prizes at the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition, the Sullivan Foundation Competition, and the Dallas Opera Guild Competition.

Since 2023, he has served as an Associate Professor of Voice at the University of Maryland School of Music. He holds degrees from Southern Methodist University, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and The Juilliard School. Learn more at www.johnholiday.com.

American pianist Kevin J. Miller, a GRAMMY Award nominee, has garnered widespread acclaim for his masterful and dynamically artful performances. His recent collaborations boast an impressive array of International Artists, including distinguished vocalists Lawrence Brownlee, Joseph Calleja, Nadine Sierra, John Holiday, Will Liverman, and Leah Hawkins.

Notably, Mr. Miller had the privilege of preparing the incomparable soprano Jessye Norman for performances of Laura Karpman's production of Ask Your Mama, which culminated in a triumphant presentation at Carnegie Hall. His artistry can be heard on several recordings, including Been in da Storm So Long, featuring baritone Kenneth Overton, and Lawrence Brownlee's critically acclaimed release Rising.

Mr. Miller's formidable musical foundation was laid at the Mannes College of Music, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano. He further honed his craft at the University of Michigan School of Music, earning both a Master of Music degree and an Artist Diploma in Collaborative Piano under the guidance of Martin Katz.

Mr. Miller's distinguished career has been marked by esteemed appointments to the music staff of several of the nation's most revered opera companies. His impressive roster of affiliations includes The Metropolitan Opera, Houston Grand Opera, LA Opera, Washington National Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, Cincinnati Opera, Austin Opera, Opera San Antonio, and Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Learn more at www.kevinmillerpiano.com.