Bio

Mexican-American conductor Brian Holman has appeared with opera companies and orchestras on five continents (Opera Orlando, Cleveland Opera Theater, Inland Northwest Opera, Pacific Opera Project, Marble City Opera, Lanzhou Symphony, Lebanese Philharmonic, Orlando Philharmonic, Spokane Symphony, Tucson Pops, Mediterranean Opera Festival, Baroque2000 Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Sepia, DETOUR Ensemble, ensemble mise-en). He is currently resident conductor of Opera Laguna, and previously served as Music Director of New Rochelle Opera, Associate Conductor for Modus Operandi Orchestra, and Assistant Conductor for New York City Opera, Opera Africa, Gulfshore Opera, Treasure Coast Opera, Manhattan School of Music and Montclair State University. This season, Brian conducts “Student Prince” and “Savitri” for Opera Laguna, “Antar & Abla” with Opera Lebanon and the Shaolin Monks in Abu Dhabi. He music directs concerts with Jonathan Tetelman, Bernie Williams and members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for AllStar Encore (Carnegie Hall, Florida Grand Opera), as well as Laverne Cox’s one-woman show at City Winery, “Gurrl, How Did I Get Here?” Brian has concertized with many acclaimed singers, including Nelly Miricioiu, Aprile Millo, Francisco Casanova, Lauren Flanigan, Inna Dukach, Richard Troxell, Joyce El-Khoury, Stella Zambalis, Niní Cáffaro, Amine Hachem, Hans Pieter Herman, Dawn Padmore, Baye Mahanta Diop, and Kofo the Wonderman. A sought-after vocal coach in New York City for over 20 years, Brian has worked closely with a number of MET artists including Ryan Speedo Green, Alok Kumar and Disella Lárusdóttir, and has played for the masterclasses of Mariella Devia, Martina Arroyo, Verónica Villarroel, Giuseppe Filianoti, Marcello Giordani, Salvatore Fisichella, Nicola Martinucci, Neil Shicoff and Ira Siff. Brian was recently awarded the Order of the Monja Blanca by the Guatemalan Ministry of Culture and Sports, and his work has been featured worldwide on radio, television and digital media (Vogue, Classic FM, Sirius XM, Virgin Radio, WQXR New York, KBAQ Phoenix, Esimora Cultural RAC Colombia, Vea Canal Guatemala, Alhurra, LBCI, and Tele-Occidente Sicilia).

Born and raised in Arizona, Brian studied piano with Robert Hamilton at Arizona State University, Nina Svetlanova and Ruth Laredo at Manhattan School of Music, and conducting with David Gilbert, Gregory Ortega, Mark Shapiro and Justin Bischof.