Upcoming Performances

July 19, 2024, 7 pm: Friday, July 19 at 7 pm: Schubert's Winterreise ("Winter's Journey"), with Brandon Hollihan and Junghwa Lee. This legendary 24-song cycle by the Austrian composer Franz Schubert explores themes of love, isolation, and mortality. Sung in German, with English translations and program notes. A staged dramatization of the song cycle will be presented on Monday, August 26 at 7:30 pm in the Tarr Music Center at Carson-Newman University.

November 23, 2024: Brandon has the honor of the conducting the East Tennessee Vocal Assocation All-East Freshmen Choir at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee.

November 23, 2024, 8 pm: The Carson-Newman choirs sing with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra in a special concert of John Williams’ score to the beloved Christmas classic, Home Alone. Performance at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium.

December 15, 2024: First UMC Jefferson City presents its annual Christmas cantata for worship at 10 am. This year’s selection is Appalachian Christmas by Joseph Martin.

February 22, 2025, 7 pm: Carson-Newman holds its seventy-fourth annual oratorio performance, this year featuring Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy, with Dr. Ryan Fogg on piano. Held at First Baptist Church of Dandridge, free and open to the public. The choirs of Walters State Community College Morristown and Sevierville will also join us.

Past Notable Performances

May 2017: Haydn's Creation at Northwest UMC in Columbus Ohio, with soloists Laura Portune Cordell, Benjamin Bunsold and Jaman Dunn.

November 2017: "The German Baroque", focusing on the music of Martin Luther and featuring BWV 80 "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott" by J.S. Bach.  Held at the Reyes Organ Hall in the DeBartolo Peforming Arts Center at Notre dame.

July 2018: Scholar Participant, Chorus America Conducting Academy at Cal State-Fullerton.

August 2018: Conducting Fellow, Norfolk Chamber Music and Choral Conducting Workshop in western Connecticut.

October 2018: “Beyond Scripture” program; Brandon's second DMA conducting recital which featured Schoenberg’s “Geistliches Lied” and Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb. With Myles Hayden and JJ Mitchell as organists. Held inside the Reyes Organ Hall.

March 28, 2019: Performance with Dr. Carmen-Helena Tellez and fellow Sacred Music students in a concert presentation of the music of Philip Glass, who was in attendance for the performance.

November 10, 2019: Brandon’s doctoral lecture recital, featuring Bach’s Easter cantata, “Christ lag in Todesbanden,” and Steve Reich’s Tehillim. This monumental event featured the Notre Dame Master’s octet singing the Bach along with GRAMMY-award winning ensemble Third Coast Percussion serving as the core percussionists for Tehillim. The singers for Tehillim were Jamie Caporizo, Halle McGuire-Hobbins, Alissa Plenzler and Jessica Roberts.

January 8, 2021: An online solo piano recital that served as a fundraiser the soup kitchen ministry at First UMC. Featuring composers George Gershwin, John Adams, and Beethoven’s “Waldstein” sonata.

2021 and ‘23: Part I of Handel's Messiah through Carson-Newman University. With South-Doyle High School ‘21 (Hannah Berkley, conductor) and Heritage High School ‘23 (Tyler Owens, conductor).

November 2022: Carson-Newman’s Fall Oratorio concert including performances of Vivaldi’s Magnificat and Faure’s Requiem. With the Jefferson County High School Patriot Singers (Lindsey Lively, director).