Hi! I’m Dr. Regina Zona
I’m an award-winning singer, recording artist, and passionate educator with over 37 years of experience helping professional and aspiring musicians reach their full potential. From the opera stage to the cabaret spotlight to the teaching studio, my mission has always been the same: to empower artists with the skills, confidence, and clarity they need to thrive.
Dr. Regina Zona is an award-winning singer in both opera and cabaret, a recording artist with three albums—including one on the Naxos American Classics label—a career coach for singers, and a master teacher of voice with over 37 years of experience in private studios and at several universities across the U.S.
In 2021, she founded Singer Savvy Academy, a digital education platform focused on empowering singers to build thriving, sustainable careers. Through programs like Savvy Singer CEO and The Savvy Singer’s Marketing Blueprint, Regina coaches singers in entrepreneurship, branding, and business strategy tailored to the music industry.
Dr. Zona has also created a comprehensive library of musicianship and performance-based online courses—including piano skills for singers, music theory, sight singing, audition preparation, and dramatic training—are now offered exclusively through The Zona Studio LLC, where students receive high-level, hands-on instruction both in-person and online.
As Seen and Heard on…
As a Singer
Regina Zona, praised as “nothing short of sensational” (Sarasota Herald Tribune) and “the absolute rapture of the evening” (Rome News), has captivated audiences worldwide with her acclaimed performances in both opera and concert. She made her New York debut at Lincoln Center with the National Chorale and has since performed with esteemed orchestras such as the Tokyo Symphony, Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México, and the Buffalo Philharmonic. Her repertoire includes Strauss’s Vier letzte Lieder, Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, and operatic heroines like Ariadne (Ariadne auf Naxos), Chrysothemis (Elektra), and Donna Anna (Don Giovanni). A powerhouse early in her career as the Queen of the Night across major U.S. opera houses, Regina garnered international recognition by winning the Neue Stimmen International Vocal Competition and top prizes in several prestigious vocal contests. In 2019, she boldly reinvented herself as a cabaret artist with Becoming…the Queen 2.0, earning a MAC Award for Best Female NY Debut and solidifying her place as a multifaceted and magnetic performer.
As a Recording Artist
Regina’s first album entitled Connection: Three Song Cycles, released worldwide in 2014 by the NAXOS American Classics label, features the song cycles of American composer, Jake Heggie. Critically acclaimed internationally, the work garnered praise from Heggie himself, proclaiming Dr. Zona to be a “truly phenomenal performer.” Her second album, Heart Songs: An American Medley, released in 2021, bridges her performing journey from classical singer to cabaret singer through songs in the American classical art song tradition and the Great American Songbook. Her third album, It Must Have Been the Mistletoe was released in the fall of 2022 where she celebrates a jazzy Christmas with internationally acclaimed guitarist, Sean Harkness.
As a Master Teacher of Voice
Dr. Zona has been teaching for over 35 years. She has held teaching and director positions at several universities in the U.S., including serving as the Opera Program Director at the University of Minnesota Duluth from 2008 to 2012 and as Artistic Director of the Sieur Du Luth Opera Training Program for young aspiring opera singers from 2008 to 2010. From 2006-2008, she was Assistant Professor of Voice and the Opera Scenes Director at Shorter College in Rome, GA. Dr. Zona’s students have appeared on the most prestigious opera stages across the world, Broadway, and regional theatres. She is an in-demand clinician at universities and training programs offering classes in vocal pedagogy, dramatic performance, opera history and appreciation, and audition techniques. Dr. Zona was a short-term substitute professor at the Juilliard School teaching English diction to Vocal Arts Masters students. She has also served as an adjudicator in several Regional, State, and local competitions.
As a Career Coach for Singers
Regina has spent over 16 years guiding singers in opera, musical theatre, and cabaret toward professional success. As a faculty member at Shorter College and the University of Minnesota Duluth, she designed and led the Business of Singing Workshop, equipping singers with the essential tools to transition from student to aspiring professional. In her private coaching studio, she works with emerging artists taking their first steps into the professional world as well as established singers navigating career transitions with clarity and confidence. Through her online platform, Singer Savvy Academy, Regina helps singers become confident entrepreneurs, offering programs like Savvy Singer CEO, which provides a complete system for building a sustainable singing career, and The Savvy Singer’s Marketing Blueprint, a mini-course that teaches artists how to create dynamic, effective marketing campaigns. Whether it’s launching a recital series, filling venues, or generating income through multiple streams, Regina equips singers with the tools and mindset to thrive artistically and financially.
Regina received her Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the Manhattan School of Music, an Artist Diploma from the Academy of Vocal Arts, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University. She currently resides in the New York area, where she offers voice and piano lessons, dramatic coachings, and career consultations for singers in all genres and at all levels.