About Karen

Award winning Trinidad and Tobago soprano Karen Holder is an operatic soloist at professional level whose singing experience has been that of mature audiences. In 2019, Karen was awarded an Honorary First degree Distinction of Music from Trinity College London after a very successful singing recital; with exceptional highly acclaimed comments from the examination board. She covers both performances of coloratura and lyric roles and, as having a very profound style of repertoire. Karen also holds a distinction in advance singing repertoire and an ATCL from the same mentioned institution.

Apart from singing, Karen is the founder and CEO of 'Opera Singers International Theater Company' OSITCO which was established in 2013 and she is also a high school teacher in musical performing arts in Trinidad having received an honourary degree from the university of the west indies.

Karen grew up in the bright village of Tunapuna on El Dorado Road as a child and was raised by Cyril Holder a mason by trade and steelpan historian, and Shirley Holder (mother) a gifted church singer and once pre-school teacher. Being the third child, Karen was the only girl and child that showed much love and commitment to her gifted musical talent of which she owes much credit to her parents for channeling and commencing her musical career. She attended the Tunapuna Anglican Primary School,, then went on to the Tunapuna Government Secondary School.

At the age of five years, Karen began singing church choruses with her mother and piano lessons with her farther who taught her to play by ear until he could afford to send her to piano lessons. She continued with formal musical training afterwards with private music teachers of which she studied the recorder, guitar and piano. Her siblings also benefitted musical training from these tutors. Later on as a teenager she began to study voice with several voice teachers including Miss Holitza Seecharan-Lawerence who first discovered her voice as a First Soprano at the age of 19. She was also told as a child by one of UK’s ABRSM examiners, as having ‘Perfect Pitch” at that time at age 15.

Karen continued her musical studies with under the guidance of The Royal Academy of Music of which she accomplished many Distinctions in pianoforte music exams between the years of 1998 and 2005. She eventually used her piano skills to play for churches, ballet schools such as The Caribbean School of Dance with Enrique Ali (Pianist) and The Bentley Potters School of Dance. She also worked part-time in hotels as a lobby pianist. Holder said, Shirley Holder, her mother was her first music teacher. “My mother taught me to sing little church choruses like Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam as she herself is a singer.” I tried to follow the melody line and later on everything became very much clearer as I grew older.” Cyril Holder, her father, a steelpan pioneer and musician, who worked with Winston “Spree” Simon and the Nightingales Steel Orchestra, bought Karen her first set of instruments. She said “I began playing music by ear before even reading a note. Daddy taught me lots of songs on the piano of which I learned very quickly. There are also members of my family who are into music, like parang.

During 2007 and 2008, it was then that Holder began formal Opera training in COSSTAATT and with Ms. Nariman Hosein. She also attended several workshops In UTT under the direction of the late Dr. Vertrelle Mickens of the USA and on November 10th 2009 Karen became a member of the UTT Choir and Chamber Orchestra and was privilege enough to sing for the opening of The National Academy For The Performing Arts. Earlier that year, she became a chorister member of the Lydian singers under the direction of Dr. Pat Bishop of which helped to broaden her musical knowledge and interpretation of the Arts. She studied several musical genres with Universities and also performed with their choirs at several events, competitions and festivals.

‘I do enjoy rendering and to much singing art works from most composers. The Opera is my style of music and I do enjoy singing difficult works such as Oratorios, Cantatas and Lieders which are just some of my favourite styles in the Opera.’ In 2008 Holder became a musical finalist in two categories of Opera and Gospel at the Trinidad and Tobago Music Festival. Later on in 2010 she re-entered the festival there becoming a five time finalist in categories of Opera and Classical, Musical Theatre and Broadway. Representing herself mainly at the festival, she sang such works as If God Be For Us by Handel and You Raise me Up by Gosh Groban, Love’s Philosophy by Quilter, The Lonely Goatherd from the ‘Sound of Music’ and Endless Pleasure from the Opera Semele by Handel. Karen also performed with the Lydian Singers during these festival moments. On September 25th 2010 Karen Performed with The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) at NAPA in the production entitled ‘A Grand Night For Singing’ Performing in a lead role in Strauss’s Die Fledermaus Opera, La Traviata. In 2011 Holder accomplished an Honorary Advance Music Distinction from The Trinity Guildhall School of Music and performed arias and roles from a number of operatic scenes such as O del mio dolce ardor, Widmung, Laudate Dominum just to name a few. Also in 2012 she was awarded an Associate Diploma from Trinity College London. On October 26th 2012 Ms. Holder was invited to sing for 33rd Annual Conference of Delegates of the Trinidad and Tobago Teacher’s Association (TTUTA) with the presence of The Honorable Dr. Tim Gopeesingh, former Minister of Education.

In 2013 she continued to perform more operatic roles under the same board such as Catalani’s Ebben ne andro lontana, Dove Sono from Mozart and other works from famous composers such as Offenbach, Handel, Donizetti, Verdi and many more. On April 7th 2013 she also performed in her first concert production (Easter Concert) entitled 'Let My Song’ at The La Joya Complex on April 7th 2013, which featured Opera, Classical, Semi-Classical, Inspirational, Musical Theatre, Broadway, Spiritual and Negro Spiritual works of which thrilled the audience and thereby was given a standing ovation. Soon after Karen was invited to sing for the opening of The Eastern Credit Union, The La Joya Sporting Complex ‘Arima Town Hall’ on April 10th 2013, just three days after her first major production. Deemed as a performer with a powerful voice, she rendered ‘Climb Every Mountain’ from the Sound of Music.

Later the same year, during the summer vacation, Karen was awarded the opportunity to train with famous opera stars and voice instructors such as Amanda Echalaz and Miriam Murphy and many others in the UK with an opera company. This featured a Gala Concert of which she rendered Bach’s Cantata: Jauchzet Gott in alle Landen BW51.. Holder appeared as a guest on The C TV Caribbean News Media Group Television Channel hosted by Paul Richards on March 25th 2013 on the ‘First Up’ Morning Show and also did a Radio Interview with George Gonzales on The Vibe CT 105 F.M on April 2nd 2013. She was also featured on the ‘Catholic News’ newspaper on March 24th 2013 prior to the Easter Concert in La Joya on Aril 7th. Karen is also mentioned in a few articles in reference to T&T’s Music Festival. Karen continues to sing for local communities, events and recitals.