At age 10 that James Nathaniel Holland composed his first musical work, and at age 11 he was published in a regional Indiana journal. So began a life-long love affair with music and the arts.
Throughout high school, Holland performed his own works and received highest honors in various music competitions. In 1984 he was accepted to the Interlochen National Music Camp in Michigan and the following year was accepted to DePauw University's music program. There he performed, wrote, directed and produced works for piano, choir, voice, and the stage. In 1986 his first musical play was selected for main stage production at DePauw. His studies also included instruction in Vienna, Austria and Indiana University in Bloomington. In 1988 he acquired his Bachelor's of Music degree one year early, due to his exceptional comprehension of the musical arts.
With formal education complete, fate's lightening bolt sent him to wander the country. He first performed in two off-Broadway productions in New York, then it was off to LA, then Miami and back to LA, and then even farther out to the Caribbean island of Haiti, where he became enchanted with Haitian music and culture. He has worked as a cabaret singer, a professional choral conductor, a soloist, an actor, and also as a fundraiser, refugee volunteer, and Peace Corps trainee.
Now back in the New York area, Holland has been busily writing new operas, recording his music with notable artists, and writing incidental music for theatrical productions. He is also founder of the Northern New Jersey Camerata, a local composers association. (the org's website: http://hometown.aol.com/nnjcamerata/)
Recently he was one of the first composers selected to participate in an innovative website project sponsored by the American Music Center, NewMusicJukebox, and a featured composer at the New Jersey Gay Men's Chorus fundraising extravaganza last May.