Photo by Erica Leanne Photography
Conductor Joshua Zona's insightful and energetic performances have garnered praise from audiences, musicians, and media alike.
Under Maestro Zona’s leadership, the Rapides Symphony Orchestra has enriched the culture of central Louisiana through fearless programming of classical repertoire, undiscovered gems, and premiers of contemporary works. Under Mr. Zona’s leadership, the Rapides Symphony Orchestra has enjoyed tremendous growth in audience size, community engagement, and fiscal prosperity. Just a few of the classical and pops guest artists that he has worked with are Orli Shaham, Evan Drachman, Alan Vizzuti, Beausoliel, and New Orleans jazz legend Ronnie Cole. Mr. Zona and the Rapides Symphony have instituted additional family and youth programming, along with “side-by-side” opportunities for local young musicians, sharing the wonders of music with the next generation.
Mr. Zona has led the Renova Music Festival from its’ inception as an upstart chamber music festival into a thriving music festival that draws college-aged musicians from coast to coast. Having completed its’ seventh year, the festival brings nationally-recognized artist faculty members and pre-professional musicians together for two weeks of chamber music, chamber orchestra, and workshops in rural western Pennsylvania each June. The growth of the festival can be seen through the number of applicants each year, the percentage of returning students from one year to the next, and the artistic level of performances that rises year after year. The festival has enjoyed tremendous community support as well.
Mr. Zona's conducting has brought him around the world, working with such orchestras as the St. Petersburg Chamber Symphony (Russia), the St. Petersburg Chamber Orchestra (Russia), the MAV Symphony Orchestra (Budapest, Hungary), the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra (Prague, Czech Republic), the Puebla State Symphony Orchestra (Mexico), the Constanta Symphony Orchestra (Romania), and return engagements with the San Remo Symphony Orchestra (Italy), the EurOrchestra Chamber Orchestra (Bari, Italy), the City of Grossetto Symphony (Tuscany, Italy.)
From 1999-2003, Mr. Zona was the Assistant Conductor of the Symphony of Southeast Texas and Music Director for the Southeast Texas Youth Symphony. . During this time, Mr. Zona conducted award-winning educational concerts for thousands of children, as well as pops and holiday concerts. He has also conducted clinics and youth orchestras in Louisiana, Texas, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Mr. Zona has served as part-time faculty and Artist in Residence at Louisiana State University at Alexandria, where he has ignited an appreciation for music among thousands of students, inspiring a new generation of music-lovers and concert-goers.
Maestro Zona holds a Bachelor's Degree from The Ohio State University and went on to graduate study in Horn Performance at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. As a graduate conducting student at Ball State University, he was appointed Assistant Conductor of the Muncie (Indiana) Symphony Orchestra. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Michigan State University.