Countertenor John Holiday Announces Debut Album ‘Over My Head’ Arriving This July

John Holiday has one of the most distinctive voices in classical music, and now it’s getting its proper debut. The acclaimed countertenor releases his first album, ‘Over My Head,’ on July 17, 2026 through PENTATONE. Recorded at WGBH studios in Boston alongside pianist and close collaborator Kevin Miller, the album weaves together spirituals, art song, and contemporary works into a deeply personal program Holiday describes as “Love in the Key of Resilience.”

The repertoire covers serious ground. Works by Hall Johnson, Robert L. Morris, and H. Leslie Adams sit alongside world premiere recordings by Theo Morrison and Carlos Simon, plus Holiday’s own arrangements of standards including “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Summertime,” and “Strange Fruit.” It’s a program that reflects the full range of an artist equally at home in Baroque opera and American song.

The Wall Street Journal calls his voice “arrestingly powerful, secure and dramatically high.” The Los Angeles Times names him “one of the finest countertenors of his generation.” The New Yorker simply called it “a thing of astonishing beauty.” The critical consensus is unanimous, and ‘Over My Head’ is the record that formally introduces Holiday to a wider audience.

PENTATONE rolls out the album digitally ahead of the July release, with Holiday’s arrangement of “Strange Fruit” arriving May 22, followed by Theo Morrison’s “I Hear an Army Charging Upon the Land” on June 26.

‘Over My Head’ arrives July 17, 2026 on PENTATONE.

‘Over My Head’ Tracklist:

  1. I’m Gonter Tell God All O’ My Troubles, Hall Johnson
  2. VOCALISE I, Carlos Simon
  3. Strings in the Earth and Air, Theo Morrison
  4. O Cool is the Valley Now, Theo Morrison
  5. Lightly Come or Lightly Go, Theo Morrison
  6. Now, O Now, in this Brown Land, Theo Morrison
  7. I Hear an Army Charging Upon the Land, Theo Morrison
  8. VOCALISE II, Carlos Simon
  9. Humoresque, Robert L. Morris
  10. Gospel Blues, Robert L. Morris
  11. Juba: Ev’rytime I Feel the Spirit, Robert L. Morris
  12. Fly Me to the Moon, arr. John Holiday
  13. Summertime, arr. John Holiday
  14. VOCALISE III, Carlos Simon
  15. Strange Fruit, arr. John Holiday
  16. Prayer, H. Leslie Adams
  17. The Heart of a Woman, H. Leslie Adams
  18. Night Song, H. Leslie Adams
  19. Sence You Went Away, H. Leslie Adams
  20. Over My Head and Amazing Grace, arr. John Holiday