" I hope I have become the teacher I wish I had met when I first began studying singing."

Alongside her performing career, she has always been deeply committed to teaching as a vocal coach and jazz voice educator, regarding it as a natural extension of her artistic and personal journey. 

Convinced that artistic excellence and teaching ability are two distinct qualities—a great performer is not necessarily a great teacher, and vice versa - she has developed a pedagogical approach based on the sharing of knowledge through practical experience and effective learning tools. Her aim is to guide each student toward developing a solid vocal technique while nurturing an authentic and individual artistic voice.

Her teaching philosophy is rooted in careful listening, individual observation and the recognition of each student's unique potential. She views the voice as a holistic instrument - an authentic expression of the balance between body, mind and emotions. Through this perspective, singing becomes not only a musical skill but also a powerful means of cultivating self-awareness, expressive freedom and artistic authenticity.

Every course of study is tailored to the individual. Within a supportive, collaborative and trust-based environment, students are encouraged to explore and develop their vocal, technical and emotional resources, building confidence while pursuing continuous artistic and personal growth.

A brief overview

Her teaching career began between 1988 and 1991 at the Musical Culture Association of Modena, founded by Giuseppe La Monica and Gianni Nicolini. In 1989 she held seminars on jazz singing at the AMR Ravenna Association, upon invitation from Antonio De Rosa, and in 1991 she joined the teaching staff of the Ricordi School of Music in Bologna.

Between 1992 and 1996 she taught at the Accademia di Musica Moderna, working across its Modena, Piacenza and Verona campuses, where she specialized in vocal technique applied to a wide range of musical styles, from rock to gospel. 

In 1994 she also taught within the Jazz Orchestra programme at the Il Paese degli Specchi Music School in Bologna, a project supported by the European Community.

From 1997 to 2005 she temporarily stepped back from institutional teaching to devote more time to her family.

From 2005 to 2013 she was a lecturer in Extra-Classical Vocal Music within the Advanced Training Biennium for opera singers at the Conservatorio “Vecchi-Tonelli” in Modena. 

In 2008 she worked as a substitute music teacher at the “Dante Alighieri” middle school in Nonantola (Modena), while between 2009 and 2010 she taught a vocal workshop focused on mainstream jazz repertoire at the Accademia Superiore di Canto in Verona.

From 2011 to 2021 she served as Professor of Jazz Voice in the Jazz Department of the Mantua Conservatory.

Between 2016 and 2017 she taught voice as part of the three-year Permanent Laboratory for the Actor programme at the Iolanda Gazzerro Theatre School of Emilia Romagna Teatro (ERT). 
During the same period she was appointed Professor of Jazz Voice (Popular Music Programme) at the Arrigo Boito Conservatory in Parma (2016–2018), Professor of Jazz Voice at the Nino Rota Conservatory in Monopoli (2018–2020), and Professor of Pop Voice at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan (2020–2021).

Since 2021 she has been Professor of Jazz Voice and Coordinator of the Jazz Department at the Maderna-Lettimi Conservatory of Cesena and Rimini. 
Alongside her teaching and mentoring activities, she continues to develop innovative educational approaches, making extensive use of digital technologies to support the training of new generations of vocal artists.

Promotion of musical activities

Alongside her performing and teaching career, Lorena Fontana has played an active role in cultural planning, artistic direction and the promotion of music since the early 1990s.

In 1990 she initiated a series of pioneering projects in Modena dedicated to vocal and musical education. These included a course in Phoniatrics and the Physiology of the Speaking and Singing Voice, taught by Dr Andrea Ricci Maccarini; a Gospel Singing programme developed in collaboration with the Gospel Academy of Performing Arts in Toronto; and a course in the Alexander Technique for musicians, singers and performing artists led by Maya Galai.

In 1992 she founded and directed Modena's first Afro-American Choral Workshop, making a significant contribution to the growth of jazz and gospel culture throughout the region. From this initiative emerged the gospel choir Children of Mornin' Star, later renamed Upper & Higher, which went on to collaborate regularly with the celebrated Italian band Nomadi between 1999 and 2003, appearing on four studio albums and a concert video.

Between 1994 and 1998 she was among the founding members of the Cultural Association Musiche Virtuali, serving as its President from 1996 to 1997. The association became an important platform for the conception and production of festivals, concert series, interdisciplinary performances, educational programmes and seminars devoted to contemporary music, jazz, world music and artistic experimentation, developed in collaboration with public institutions, cultural organisations and local authorities.
Under her artistic direction, a number of innovative projects were created, including the festivals and concert series Musiche Virtuali, Jazz: Sounds and Images, The Colours of Music, Oasis and Voices from the World. The latter received a cultural award from the Emilia-Romagna Regional Government in recognition of its originality and artistic value. These initiatives brought together leading Italian and international artists while introducing audiences to musical traditions that had rarely been presented locally, including Indian Dhrupad singing and Harmonic (Overtone) Singing. The Musiche Virtuali experience came to a close in 1997.

That same year she established a collaboration with the Clarsach Society of Edinburgh, one of the world's foremost organisations dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the Celtic harp tradition. The partnership encouraged artistic exchange between Italy and Scotland, enabling Italian ensembles to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival while fostering a broader appreciation of Celtic music in Italy through concerts, workshops and educational events.

Also in 1997, in collaboration with the Accademia di Musica Moderna in Modena, she organised a jazz vocal masterclass led by the acclaimed British singer Norma Winstone, followed by a concert featuring Winstone alongside American guitarist Garrison Fewell. In the same year she also collaborated with the Cassero Jazz Festival in the organisation of a concert featuring Rita Marcotulli and Norma Winstone.

In 2009 she became one of the founding members of the Cultural Association Suoni d'Arte, established to promote concerts, educational programmes and outreach initiatives in the fields of music and the performing arts. Her involvement with the association continued until its activities concluded in 2024.

Throughout her career, Lorena Fontana has also worked as an interpreter and artistic assistant alongside some of the most influential figures in international jazz, gaining invaluable first-hand experience through close collaboration with artists who have helped shape the history of contemporary music. Among them are Lee Konitz, Joe Henderson, Barney Kessel, Graham Collier, Betty Carter, Tommy Campbell, Bill Frisell, Norma Winstone, Robben Ford and Mike Stern.

These collaborations have represented an invaluable source of artistic and personal growth, deepening her understanding of the many traditions of international jazz while profoundly enriching both her own creative practice and her approach as an educator.