Diana Borgia-Petro, General Director

Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Education, Masters of Music Education, from Temple University; began her vocal studies 40 years ago, showing an interest in vocal pedagogy and performance, with Master Voice Teacher, Florence Berggren, a protege of the renowned Madames Charles Cahier, Margerite Olden, and Marion Freschl, the latter to whom she served as Assistant at the Juilliard School of Music. All three of these teachers passed down their legacy of pedagogy to Florence Berggren.  Ms. Borgia-Petro is a fortunate recipient of this long tradition of pedagogical training.  She also started a 20 year association with Martin Rich, former coach and conductor of the Metropolitan Opera Company, while a college student and continued up until his death almost eight years ago. Subsequently she continued a collegial relationship with him by sending her advanced students regularly for his magnificent and stunning expertise. She considers herself extremely fortunate to have been tutored by these two great mentors. Truly the European discipline required to create great artists and great teachers was in their command.

Ms. Borgia-Petro joined the Philadelphia School System as a music/choir teacher in 1972. She received many accolades for her work in her first assignment in a junior high school where her choir was selected for the District Bicentenial Celebration. A few years later she was invited and tested for the position of vocal specialist at the renowned Girard Academic Music Program. where she taught an additional 11 years before retiring to transition her part-time voice studio into a full time practice. During that time, she also coached and conducted musical theater productions, and the award-winning choirs for performances with the Philadelphia Orchestra Children's Concert Series with William Smith, The Philadelphia Singers under Michael Korn who lauded her with a "Brava Maestra" and Peter Nero and The Philly Pops.

Miss Berggren selectively recommended that Ms. Borgia-Petro consider a voice teaching career when she discovered her exacting and extremely analytical ear. Ms. Borgia-Petro as a result, worked many years in studying voice building and has consulted with otolaryngologists in her practice of speech therapy and singing therapy for injured voices.  She regularly adjudicates operatic and recital auditions, has had performance experience, from age five, in many crossover styles, and is an expert in training singers in both classical and popular singing through basic fundamental technique.  She performed in recitals and opera workshops in her early career including those with Giancarlo Menotti, and possesses much choral experience under the batons of Eugene Ormandy, William Smith, Raphael de Burgos, Ricardo Muti, and many others.
She held vocal teaching positions at Nazareth Academy, and voice classes at Cabrini College and Chestnut Hill College and currently is long-time voice faculty at Immaculata University.

For almost a decade as a single mother of two, she continued her affiliations with several organizations. She is a former chapter president of Sigma Alpha Iota, served for several years as Financial Secretary on the Board of The Matinee Music Club of Philadelphia, and served as Artistic Administrator, then President and now General Director of ConcertOPERA, Philadelphia. She is also featured in the Cambridge Who's Who Registry of Executives and Professionals.

She acted as Assistant to Florence Berggren for many years and has maintained a productive private voice studio in Drexel Hill, PA (outside Philadelphia) for over two decades with an additional studio in New York City.  Students come to Ms. Borgia-Petro's studios from all over the east coast.