(CBS) Holly Stell may look like a typical Northern
California teen, but once she opens her mouth to
sing, it's obvious she's anything but typical.

The 15-year-old vocal phenom visits Second Cup
Café to share songs from her latest album, "Holly's
Christmas."

According to her official biography, Stell began
exhibiting a fondness for classical music as a toddler.
While other kids her age were watching cartoons, the
future singer preferred listening to and imitating The
Three Tenors.

Stell joined her church choir when she was only four
years old. At the age of 9, Stell began voice lessons
to cultivate her natural talent.

In 2004, Stell was discovered by Canadian film and
television composer Jack Lenz at a charity event
benefiting Hilary Duff's Kids With A Cause.

A year later she recorded a duet with Andrea Bocelli,
which was featured on the celebrated tenor's album
"Andrea" as well as on the soundtrack for the film
"The Lazarus Child," starring Angela Bassett and
Andy Garcia.

Stell released her self-titled debut album, a mix of
classical and original songs, in 2005.

Her Christmas album, "Holly's Christmas" was
released in December 2007
Age 12
Holly's version of O Holy Night Playing in
the background on this page
Holly's Albums
Video Is Cut Short
To date, Holly Stell has performed for the President of the United States, been a soloist at the prestigious "A Night of Opera", and
performed a duet with the distinguished Andrea Bocelli. All of this and she isn't even old enough to acquire a driver's license.

Holly Stell is a 13 year-old Northern California opera singing sensation that has captivated audiences of all ages with her velvety
smooth yet potent voice. Since the release of her self titled debut album in December 2005, the young diva has been in demand,
appearing on Entertainment Tonight Canada, CTV National News, eTalk Daily, Star TV and City TV.

Holly's interest in opera began as a toddler, a moment she remembers clearly; "When I was two years old, I was fascinated with
Pavarotti. My mom was turning the channels of the TV looking for something for me to watch while she cleaned the house and he
(Pavarotti) came on and I wouldn't let her change the channel. I don't know if it was the emotion he put into the song or just the way
he looked when he was singing opera but I just always had a fascination with it. It's just beautiful music and that I think contributes to
my fascination with opera."

At the tender age of four, Holly's parents decided to let her join the junior choir at church so she could do what she loved to do, sing.
At nine years old, the aspiring soloist signed herself up to sing the solo "O Holy Night". Was she nervous at all? "I think at that age I
just really wanted to do it. It wasn't a big deal to me. I just signed myself up to sing it. It was, I don't know, it just came naturally to me."

After joining the VOENA Children's Choir, Holly would perform as a soloist once again but on a somewhat larger platform; for the
President of the United States during A&E's "Holidays at the White House". "That I think was a little later in my career from when I was
nine. So, I think I was pretty nervous for it. And plus, it's the President so it was a little overwhelming just being in his presence."

Someone that Holly is pleased to have in her presence is Canadian composer/producer, Jack Lenz, who discovered her pure voice
while she was in Toronto. "I was singing at Hilary Duff's 16th (High Tea) Birthday Benefit and Jack happened to accompany me on the
piano. He was working on a feature film (The Lazarus Child) and he wanted to submit me to do the end track song (Go Where Love
Goes) and it worked out. So he wanted to produce an album." As Holly and Jack worked together on her album, her respect and
admiration of him grew. "It's been an amazing experience. He's probably one of the nicest people I know and he's very
compassionate towards people. He never has a temper. He's an amazing composer. So far it's been wonderful."

Another amazing experience for Holly was recording a duet with one of her idols, Andrea Bocelli; "That was another really great
experience. Just being in his presence was amazing as it was with the President. Doing a duet with him (Bocelli) was hopefully not a
once in a lifetime experience. He is amazing and a very gifted artist." Holly's duet with Bocelli, "Go Where Love Goes", is featured on
his opera album as well as her debut CD. Be careful how you describe her album though, it's not just another opera compilation.
"There are two opera songs on the album but I think it kind-of has a pop classical feel. I like to use the term 'popssical" because it
has a pop and classical mix, if you get that. It's cool music. It's not quite pop but it's quite classical so it's kind-of like a little mix of
both."

The album also features the song "Annabelle Lee" a track that Stell penned herself. "I wrote 'Annabelle Lee' in 2004, for a school
report that I was doing. It was adapted from Edgar Alan Poe's poem 'Annabelle Lee'." Holly's debut CD was officially released in the US
on January 31, 2006. It is available at over 400 Barnes and Noble bookstores, which Holly has been busy touring. "I'm touring Barnes
and Noble stores for now but hopefully I'll be doing more venues soon. It's been going really well. The people at the stores are really
nice and I get to have free Starbucks. It's pretty awesome."

So what's next for this "Petite Pavarotti" (as she was dubbed on Entertainment Tonight)? "I'd like to have a couple of albums out. I've
always thought that doing a duet with Paul McCartney would be really cool. Just because I've always idolized him as an amazing artist
and he's just so good at what he does. He's a musical genius to me. I'd also like to play Christine in 'Phantom of the Opera'."

But Holly's goals aren't all about her. "I've always been taught to give back," which she does through supporting Kids with a Cause, a
charity that Holly is passionate about. "We actually have the opportunity to help kids all around the world not only in the United
States, which is something that makes me feel so much better about myself." Holly Stell should feel extremely good about herself.
Barely being a teenager, she's got more on her resume than the majority of us. Bravo Holly, bravo!
Holly Stell : Voice Of An Angel

Dubbed “Petite Pavarotti”, Holly Stell is a 15 year old
beauty with an exceptional gift for singing opera.
Barley a teenager, this vocal prodigy has garnered
worldwide acclaim for her angelic stage presence
and heartfelt emotional delivery. Holly’s interest in
classical music was evident even as a toddler, when
she preferred listening to and imitating artists such
as The Three Tenors over watching cartoons. With a
true passion for classical music, Holly first stunned
audiences with her rare and tremendous talent when
she sang her first solo at age nine with her church
choir. She catapulted into the public eye when she
performed and recorded a duet with one of the world’
s most recognized classical music artists, Andrea
Bocelli in 2004. Most recently, Holly Stell performed
for the President at the 2007 National Christmas Tree
Lighting at the White House.
Holly was discovered in Toronto by producer Jack
Lenz at Hilary Duff’s “High Tea Birthday Benefit” for
Kids with Cause, a charity to which Holly is a member.
The songstress was thrilled to release her self-titled
debut album in December 2005 featuring her duet
with Bocelli as well as the song “Annabelle Lee”, the
first of Holly’s song writing credits. The album
garnered praise from critics and fans alike, and Holly
has since been featured on many high-profile media
outlets including CNN Showbiz Tonight, NBC’s Today
Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show and the CBS Early
Show.
Inspired by music greats such as Luciano Pavarotti,
Paul McCartney and Mariah Carey, Holly continues to
grow as an artist, and her goal is to help bring
classical music into the spotlight for a younger
generation. Her latest album, “Holly’s Christmas” was
released in November 2007.

Opera's Holly Stell draws younger fans to classical music
Classical music has a cool new champion in 15-year-old California native.  The opera singer dubbed the “Petite Pavarotti” by
Entertainment Tonight. While touring to promote the recent Canadian release of her self-titled debut CD, Holly let FASHION18
into her new kingdom.

CREATIVELY COOL: Holly “took notes” from one of the musicians who inspires her, operatic singer Sarah Brightman, who Holly
says is “unique and doesn’t care what people think.” Since Holly’s CD crosses musical categories, she and her mom coined the
term “popsical” to describe the songs of classical and opera stylings edged with pop. We think her music is a little bit operatic
Sarah Brightman, new age Enya and popster Beatles. (How cool is that—three musical genres for the price of one!)

HER CD: “Go Where Love Goes” (track 5) is a duet with opera superstar Andrea Bocelli that the two sang for the feature film The
Lazarus Child. It also appears on Bocelli’s album Andrea. Opera contains tragic stories and Holly has already made friends with
the dark side: she likes the mystical poetry of horror writer Edgar Allen Poe, whose poem “Annabelle Lee” inspired the
eponymous song (track 7) she composed.

SONGWRITING: When writing a song, Holly says, “I write about whatever I’m feeling that day, then I put a melody to it.” She says
sometimes it’s in her head first, but sometimes she just sits at the piano and starts tinkering.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN: At the age of two-and-a-half, Holly’s mom, Darlene, was changing channels on the TV when Holly insisted
her mom go back to something she had seen. After several attempts, Darlene realized what had captivated Holly was Pavarotti
in performance. Holly asked, “Who’s that?” and her love affair with opera was born.

She watched the Three Tenors more than cartoons and began singing around the house, mimicking opera performances. By
age four she was singing with her church’s junior choir, had her first solo, “O Holy Night” at age nine, and by the fourth grade
she was singing with a children’s choir that traveled worldwide, including performances in Japan and at the White House.
A last-minute substitute performer at Hilary Duff’s High Tea Birthday Benefit in Toronto led to Holly’s hookup with her current
management team, which then led to her duet with Bocelli and her current meteoric rise. She still trains with voice lessons,
rehearses when she’s preparing to perform and still sings around the house.

OF BEING CALLED “PETITE PAVAROTTI”: “It’s an honor—I look up to him,” Holly admits. “I wish I could have sung with him.

DOWNTIME: She likes to chill with her friends and mess around on the computer. Holly’s not a big sports person, but she enjoys
running. She’s also active in the U.N.-affiliated non-governmental organization Kids With a Cause (www.kidswithacause.org), a
charity of mainly celebrity teens and youths from film, TV and the music industry (including Haylie and Hilary Duff) committed to
helping disadvantaged children of the world.

FAMILY: Besides her parents, Holly’s family includes Tanner and Noah, her brothers, and Tawny, her terrier-mix dog.

FAVES: Musical group: The Beatles. Movie: Forest Gump.

FASHION AND BEAUTY: This California girl uses nothing but Clinique beauty products on her face: Mild soap, Clarifying Lotion 3,
Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, Gentle Light Powder in Glow 3 Neutral. Holly’s wearing Tilt jeans from Pac Sun, Ellemeno
boots, an American Eagle Outfitters camisole and J.J. Basic shrug. Holly says Canadian teens are way more fashion-forward than
in the U.S. To prepare a fashionable ensemble to wear for her Canadian interviews, Holly did some website surfing, including
looking at your very own www.fashion18.com!!!

ABOUT BEING IN THE SPOTLIGHT: So far, this small-town gal is enjoying the limelight. “I love giving interviews, traveling and
shopping in cool places like Japan.” The challenges? “Being away from my family. And, sometimes learning all the songs for a
performance is stressful.” F18 found Holly articulate, polite, interesting, humble and very, very poised—popsical and any other
cause should be proud to have such an ambassador.

HOLLY’S MESSAGE TO YOU: “Follow your dreams and don’t let anyone bring you down.”
I'm sorry to report that Holly's official site is now closed.
What a shame. I believe her voice is the most beautiful
I've ever heard and that says a lot. I wrote numerous
letters , e-mails , and made phone calls to get someone
to not let her talent slip through the cracks , but I was
unsuccessful. My prayers & best wishes are with you
Holly.