Diane Zola is the Director of Artistic Administration at Houston Grand Opera. She joined the company in 2000 as the Director of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, an internationally acclaimed training program for young singers and pianist/coaches. In 2009 Ms Zola was appointed the Chief Consultant for the newly founded Young Artist Programme at The Bolshoi Opera in Moscow.
Ms Zola has given master classes and consultations to singers in Moscow, Kiev, New York City, at major opera houses and music festivals including San Francisco Opera Merola Program, and the Aspen Music Festival. Additionally she has presented classes in Lucca and Spoleto, Italy in conjunction with the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, at the Curtis Institute of Music, Manhattan School of Music and University of Michigan. Ms Zola has served as an adjudicator for numerous vocal competitions including the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, she also serves on the jury of the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition.
Diane Zola holds a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Michigan and pursued Doctoral studies at the University of Texas at Austin. She performed with opera companies in Michigan, Texas, California and in Europe where she sang both Donna Anna and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Georgette in Il Tabarro, Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte, and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth. Ms Zola returned to the operatic stage making her Houston Grand Opera debut in 2007 as La Duchesse de Krackentorp in Donizetti's La Fille du Regiment.
Ms Zola received the Honorary Badge of the International Trustee Fund of the Tsiolkovsky Moscow State Aviation Technological University for special services to the world community in the arts and sciences. She is the third woman and second US citizen to have received this award. In 2007 she was awarded Houston Grand Opera's Guild Bravo Award for professional excellence and dedication
