About.
From Fredericksburg, Virginia, soprano Holly Breivik began her singing career at a young age, performing Celtic folk music at pubs, weddings, restaurants and festivals with her father. Her growing expertise in Celtic music has landed her four recorded albums with Jim and Holly Lawrence and Celtic Machinations, all of which are available here, here and here.
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Holly’s classical vocal training began at age 18 with Dagmar White and Kathy Ahearn of Northern Virginia Community College and University of Mary Washington, respectively. After a lengthy career as a private voice teacher of all ages, Holly returned to academia and received her Masters in Vocal Performance from Shenandoah University in May 2025, studying with nationally-acclaimed voice scientists Dr. David Meyer and Dr. Lori Åžen.
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Holly’s solo performances have spanned the state of Virginia, from Fredericksburg to Roanoke, to the esteemed North Virginia (NOVA) area. Notable performances have included solos in master works such as Shubert’s Mass in G and Mozart’s Requiem. Her opera credits include Meg in Verdi’s Falstaff and solo work in Handel’s Acis and Galatea, as well as playing Ann Sexton in Shenandoah University’s Caged Birds, a modern work directed by Ella Marchment that won an honorable mention at the National Opera Association Awards for 2023-2024.
Holly is particularly interested in collaborating with composers on new works, having recently premiered a Scottish Gaelic arrangement by prolific student composer Cliff Hernandez in Spring 2025. Inspired by the language, it is her current passion to find and perform other art songs in the same linguistic vein. Her classical training has informed her technique in more contemporary styles, including folk, musical theater, Americana, choral and country music.
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Holly’s first love will always be Celtic folk music, the genre that brought her to professional singing. She credits her vocal flexibility and warm tone to the style. As a lyric soprano, she feels most at home singing German lieder, French art song and oratorio. She enjoys the challenge in learning modern atonal music as well as negotiating the melismas of early sacred works. Her voice has been described as “clear”, “expressive” and “warm”. She is dedicated to growing as a performer and collaborator and establishing a personal community of fellow voice enthusiasts.
