Under Mr. Zona's leadership, the Rapides Symphony has undertaken highly successful major projects that have brought the orchestra broad acclaim and national recognition while cultivating new audiences for the Symphony. The biennial Louisiana International Piano Competition and the world-premier of William Banfield's "Hope" Symphony as part of a community-wide "Talk to the Music" Festival celebrating Alexandria native writer Arna Bontemps are just two of the signature projects that have made the orchestra a true treasure in the community. Mr. Zona and the Rapides Symphony have also instituted new educational projects as well as youth and family programming, bringing a new generation of music lovers to the concert hall.

Mr. Zona has recently returned from conducting engagements abroad including performances with the St. Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra in Russia and the Philharmonia "Mihail Jora" of Bacau, Romania.

As Assistant Conductor of the Symphony of Southeast Texas from 1999-2003, Mr. Zona conducted exciting pops, family and award-winning educational concerts for thousands of children. Also enthusiastic about working with young musicians, he has conducted clinics and youth orchestras across Texas, Indiana, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Holding the title of Artist-in-Residence at Louisiana State University at Alexandria, Mr. Zona has unlocked the door to classical music to hundreds of undergraduate students, sparking the next generation of music-lovers in the central Louisiana region.

A native of New Castle, Pennsylvania, Mr. Zona started piano study at the age of 7 and made the Horn his principal instrument while in high school. He earned Bachelor's degree from the Ohio State University, continued graduate studies in Horn at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and conducting at Ball State University where he was appointed assistant conductor of the Muncie, Indiana Symphony Orchestra. Maestro Zona is also currently working towards a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Michigan State University. Mr. Zona resides in Alexandria, Louisiana with his wife Tamera, a pianist, and their two young sons Nicholas (Nico) and Julian.