Donnia Holden

Donnia’s mother used to hope that her child never wanted to grow up to be a singer. Her raucous three-year old renditions of Tomorrow from Annie made it clear that singing was not her strong suit. It was not until the ripe old age of five when Donnia performed her first composition, “The Moon in the Sky Shines So Bright” that anyone knew she had an inkling of musical ability.

Donnia Holden’s love affair with music began when she joined her first choir at age seven. She immediately knew that singing was how she wanted to spend her life. Over the years,what many thought to be a hobby proved to be a passion for Donnia as she sang her way into choirs at school and church, eventually refining her gift through vocal lessons.

Musicianship is a family trait, and Donnia was immersed in it for as long as she can remember. With a grandfather who played soprano and tenor sax, a grandmother who played clarinet and sang in a girl group, and a mother who sings everywhere from churches to music festivals, it was only natural that Donnia would follow in such talented footsteps, becoming a classically trained lyric soprano. Among her favorite musical memories are the Saturdays her mother would blast vinyl from their record player - Sergio Mendez, Mozart, Earth, Wind, & Fire, Pat Benetar, and everything in between. Watching orchestras and identifying the instruments by listening instead of looking, and regular trips to music events - Donnia remembers seeing Tony! Tone! Toni! and her annual viewing of The Nutcracker Ballet fondly - only deepened her passion for making music a permanent fixture in her life.

Donnia’s smooth yet powerful vocals have been compared to those of Carmen McRae and Lauryn Hill. Among her top influences are Ella Fitzgerald, Marian Anderson, Prince, Leontyne Price, Roberta Flack and Michael Jackson.

Donnia has come a long way from singing Tomorrow in the key of Q - and in addition to opera, her diverse stylings of jazz, R&B, blues, musical theater, neo-soul, and gospel have landed her background and lead spots with various bands domestically and internationally. After establishing herself in her hometown of Atlanta and her home away from home in Central Florida, Donnia now resides and performs in the Philadelphia area.