Voices of Omaha Keeps a Half-Century Tradition Alive

November 21st, 2025

For more than half a century, one Omaha organization has been breaking down barriers to classical music, offering the community a free holiday tradition that transforms lives. This is the story of Voices of Omaha and its artistic director, Justin Payne.

Each holiday season, hundreds gather at the Holland Performing Arts Center for a free performance of Handel’s Messiah, a tradition that began with the goal of making classical music accessible to everyone in Omaha. Artistic Director Justin Payne explains that the mission is rooted in removing barriers and offering music as a gift.

“They gather once a year to do Handel’s Messiah, but they do it for free for the Omaha community because, as you all know, classical music has not always been accessible… What Voices of Omaha has done is they have taken all of the limitations off of it and has offered this Handel’s Messiah as a free gift to the Omaha community for the holiday season.”

Voices of Omaha thrives because of the dedication of its members. One of the most touching examples is Sharon Struve, a founding member who continues to sing after more than five decades. Commitment like hers keeps the organization’s legacy strong.

For Justin Payne, Omaha’s artistic growth is deeply personal. Born and raised in the city, he earned his bachelor’s degree from UNO and a master’s from Michigan State before returning home to teach. He first sang with Voices of Omaha in 2017 as a tenor soloist and became Artistic Director in 2023. His path to classical music, however, was far from typical.

“As a Black man, when I first got into college, I didn’t know that you could major in music. That wasn’t a thing I knew coming from my context. I loved music—I was a gospel musician at church—but I had no idea that there was a world out there that included this.”

Today, Payne teaches voice at UNO’s School of Music and helps his students enter the same artistic community that shaped his own career. He says audiences who attend Messiah for the first time are often surprised by how much of the music they recognize.

“There are going to be moments throughout the performance that they’re going to hear familiar pieces they may have heard in a movie or commercial… When the orchestra starts playing, they light up. ‘Oh, I know that.’ And it’s like, yeah, you do know that.”

Since returning to Omaha in 2018, Payne has worked with nearly every major arts organization in the city. He sees himself as a reflection of the community’s artistic expansion.

“The growth has been absolutely outstanding. And to be quite honest, I am proof of that growth… I get to now teach and put my own students into this culture as it continues to grow. It really is a loving and accepting community—open and free.”

This year’s performance takes place Sunday, November 23 at 3 PM at the Holland Performing Arts Center. No tickets, no cost, just a long-standing gift to the community. KVNO will record the show, as it does each year, and air it on December 21 and December 24 as part of Sounds of the Seasons.