Baritone Washington Isaac Holmes, whose singing has been called “sublime…waters (the) soul,” is a native of Graniteville, SC, in the New Hope Community.  Further, it is said that his voice is “absolutely beautiful…a beautiful instrument…to bring the art and music to others.”

Holmes has performed as soloist, dancer, instrumentalist, and chorister in the United States, Hong Kong, Russia, South Korea, Germany, France, Great Britain, Holland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Belgium.



Highlights from the upcoming season include a residency at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania with the Cecilia Ensemble; Mozart’s Requiem with Symphony Orchestra Augusta; and, a guest appearance with the Hodgson Wind Ensemble singing “Porgy” in Catfish Row (Suite from Porgy and Bess) conducted by Cynthia J. Turner at UGA.



Recent credits include solo recitals at Piedmont College and the University of Georgia; “Judge Turpin” in Sweeney Todd; “Bartolo” in Le Nozze di Figaro with the American Opera and Musical Theater Institute at Augusta University; the Faure Requiem with the Augusta Chorale; and Five Mystical Songs by Vaughan Williams with the Dutch Fork Choral Society .



He has performed under the baton of Mark Flint, Andreas Delfs, Donald Portnoy, Gustav Meier, Mark Cedel, Shizuo Z. Kuwahara, Joel Scraper, Joseph Jennings, Richard Cook and Carl St. Clair among others.

Holmes has been a fellowship student at the Aspen Summer Music Festival in the Vocal Chamber Music Program and The Opera Theatre Center. He studied with the late Jan De Gaetani, Ms. Adele Addison, and Leslie Guinn. He performed as soloist with The Aspen Concert Orchestra and the Aspen Concert Band.



A student of Dr. Gregory Broughton, he is currently a doctoral student in vocal performance and serves as Assistant Professor of Music at Paine College in Augusta, GA. He has an M.M. from The University of Michigan, where he majored in vocal performance studying with George Shirley and Leslie Guinn. While at U of M, he studied vocal literature with Martin Katz, Mitchell Krieger, the late Geoffrey Parsons, and Margo Garrett, among others. He received a B.M.A. from The University of South Carolina, where he studied with Laurie Christie, Harry Cardwell, and Donald Gray.

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