John Holiday lives in the stratosphere
>>> Listening to a man singing like a female soprano can make some people uneasy. But the ears quickly adjust when the voice is John Holiday’s.
At age 33, Holiday is considered one of the finest countertenors — the highest male part in opera — of his generation. In 2014, his musicality and immediate connection with the audience were palpable at Plácido Domingo’s international Operalia competition, where he took third prize.
On Thursday, Holiday makes his debut in Walt Disney Concert Hall with Gustavo Dudamel leading the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms.” In this edited conversation, Holiday speaks about the countertenor voice, growing up in a suburb of Houston and why Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms” is a special piece.
Was the unexpectedness highness of your vocal range something you had to deal with growing up in Rosenberg, Texas?
I remember being made fun of because I sing really high — because I sang, as they would say, “like a girl.” It is kind of shocking, but we’ve had Michael Jackson, Frankie Valli, Frankie Lymon. They may not be singing classically, but they’re also countertenors.
I remember not letting any of that stop me. I don’t ever remember crying because somebody made fun of me. Whatever was said must have given me fuel for the fire that was already inside me.
It’s common in the African American community to hear male soprano voices in church and not think anything of it. I’m doing the same thing but using a different lens for the classical idiom.
In L.A. Opera’s 2014 “Dido and Aeneas,” director Barrie Kosky made use of your powerful stage presence but asked you to stretch as the Sorceress.
I had to be so mean, and it’s totally not me. I’m really a good guy. But I wanted to go there. At first, trying to figure out how to do the role, my mantra was, “What would Meryl Streep do?”
Did you have role models?
I had an affinity for countertenor Andreas Scholl, and then I heard the voice of Derek Lee Ragin. I hadn’t encountered another African American countertenor. It was great — he looked like me, and he sounded like everything I wanted to sound like. I wanted to learn how to be as good a musician, singer and human being as he was.
Tell us why “Chichester Psalms” is important, especially for you.
It was the piece that took me to Carnegie Hall in 2012. I first sang it with Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony. The text I sing in Hebrew comes from Psalm 23, Verses 1 through 6: “The Lord is my shepherd ... . ” I love the music because of the beauty of the harmonies and the truth and authenticity with which Bernstein wrote the score.
Even connoisseurs argue over the countertenor’s range. What does “countertenor” mean to you?
It’s basically a male singing in the range of a mezzo or soprano. Countertenors adapt to fit the repertoire. In 2015, I sang the role of Julius Caesar in Vivaldi’s “Catone in Utica,” which was very high but fit my voice well. You figure out what works for you.
What recent roles have engaged you the most?
John Blue in “We Shall Not Be Moved.” We just did the production with Bill T. Jones at the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam. It’s so strong and poignant, a jazz-opera hybrid.
I also feel an extraordinary connection to Handel’s Xerxes, in the regality of the role and how he’s this tortured creature. I don’t feel tortured, but I love that part of him as a multifaceted person. Through his madness and rage, and the horror he inflicts on people, he’s looking to be loved. Every human being, even the bigot in our community — the bigot wants to be loved too.
At what point did you discover your voice?
I’ve always known I could sing but didn’t know where it would take me. I was lucky to be born into a family where music was valued. My grandmother was a musician for church and an educator. I remember being the only child singing in the adult choir in church.
Is singing gospel unusual among countertenors?
As Leontyne Price would say, “It’s my roots.” I sing lots of jazz and gospel. It’s not a party trick. It’s really a part of my life. I love the connection and feeling of joy when I encounter other people listening to music. There is no love like the love you get from an audience.