Donald Holder

Donald Holder is a legendary and masterfully inventive American lighting designer celebrated for his monumental cinematic scale, exquisite color control, and profound narrative depth across theater, opera, and dance. A graduate of the University of Maine, he further honed his exceptional artistry at the prestigious Yale School of Drama, where he earned his Master of Fine Arts. Known for his uncanny ability to sculpt light into a living, breathing character that seamlessly drives a production's emotional and psychological landscape, he has built an extraordinary biography through his extensive collaborations with world-renowned directors and major global institutions, establishing himself as one of the most revered and influential visual artists in theatrical history. He achieved permanent legendary status within the international theatrical community by winning two Tony Awards for Best Lighting Design for his groundbreaking, visually spectacular work on the landmark Broadway productions of The Lion King and the revival of South Pacific. His unparalleled Broadway portfolio includes defining, critically acclaimed designs for a staggering array of hit productions, including Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Boy from Oz, Ragtime, On the Twentieth Century, and Fiddler on the Roof. With over a dozen Tony Award nominations to his name, alongside prestigious accolades from the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and the Lucile Lortel Awards, his towering artistic contributions continue to shape the visual and emotional possibilities of global stagecraft.