About The Artist
Gabby Holder, or Rora, is a visual and performing artist from Houston, Texas. A self-proclaimed “Jack of All Trades,” Holder practices music, photography, film, poetry, drawing, acting, and painting.
A musician from childhood, Holder began singing for her school’s choir at the age of 4 until she graduated in 2019. She served as a cantor for school mass at her catholic school, regularly leading the congregation in song for many years, becoming a familiar face in her community.
In high school, she served in leadership roles in her school choir, being elected president and alto section leader her senior year, and vice president and alto section leader her junior year. Likewise, she sang in the TPSMEA Region and State Choir all four years of high school, even making first chair alto two her senior year.
Their passion for music landed them at Berklee College of Music from 2019 to 2021, where they majored in vocal performance and fostered their lifelong love for music. There they also learned how to produce music through the use of programs such as Logic, Reason, ProTools, and Ableton. Through the use of these programs, Gabby has produced and released covers under the pseudonym Rora.
Self Portrait In Front of Flowering Tree 1, 2025
Besides music, Holder’s passions lie with visual art, namely photography and film. Self-taught in digital photography, Gabby has been shooting with her Canon Rebel T3i for many years. They took their first photography class in their Junior year of high school, where they were trained in shooting and developing 35mm black and white photography.
They’ve become proficient in digital photo and video editing through programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and Premiere Pro. Currently, they shoot both digital and film photography, but focus primarily on film.
They are currently enrolled in the University of Houston’s Photography and Digital Media program, where they continue to enhance their skills as a photographer. They have expanded and refined their photographic practices to include medium format photography, toning, cyanotyping, and dodging and burning.
Finally, Holder holds a passion for film and cinematography. In high school, they created their first solo film, Voicemail, which they premiered at the ISAS arts festival. In their senior year, they spear-headed the operation to revive the school’s filmmaking club, assuming the role of Co-President with her best friend, Gabriela Della Costa. Holder directed a film titled Sweet Revenge for the ISAS art festival through this club.
In addition to directing and being behind the camera, Holder has also, on occasion, taken up acting, appearing in her films and those for others. In 2021, she appeared in Quin Bright’s film A Day’s Work.
In 2021, Holder transferred from Berklee College of Music to the University of Houston, where they are currently studying Media Production with a focus in Digital Cinematography and a minor in Studio Art. Since transferring to the cinematography program at UH, Holder has learned how to write a proper screenplay and refined her editing techniques.
Screenshot from "Do you Believe in Magick?" by Gabby Holder 2021