Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Sonia Kazarova of Los Angeles

We recently had the chance to connect with Sonia Kazarova and have shared our conversation below.

Sonia, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I usually wake up around 5:30 a.m. and start my day with about twenty minutes of meditation — it’s my way of centering before everything starts moving. Then I make myself a strong espresso, pack my daughter’s lunch, and start breakfast for her. After that comes the challenging task of waking her up and getting her ready for school. Once she, and our dog, are in the car, I drive them to school, and then I take my dog for a run around it’s a chance to be outside and clear my head before diving into the rest of the day

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Sonia Kazarova, and I’m a recording artist, composer, and performer who blends opera, cinematic storytelling, and Americana roots into a genre I call Country Opera. I record and perform as Sonia and the Rocky Mountain Orchestra, a collective of extraordinary musicians who bring this new sound to life — where classical power meets soulful grit.

Collaboration has always been at the heart of what I do. Working with other artists across genres has shaped me profoundly — each collaboration has taught me something about humility, connection, and the shared heartbeat that runs through all great music.

I also continue to perform opera in fully staged productions and develop new work in that realm. It’s not always easy for people to imagine one artist living in so many worlds at once, but for me, that cross-pollination is essential. My training and my life have been rooted in the deep study of ancient music, acting, and opera — and that foundation gives me the freedom to explore new frontiers while staying grounded in tradition. In many ways, I see what I’m doing as bringing opera back to the Grand Ole Opry — reuniting storytelling and voice in their most human, heartfelt forms.

Right now, I’m building a tour to support Desperado Debutante and continuing to shape new creative projects that carry this vision forward. Between all of that and being a mom, life is full — but in the best possible way.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
For much of my life as an artist, actor, singer, and producer, I was always waiting for someone else’s permission — for someone to greenlight the project, to make it “okay” for me to be who I already was. Like so many of us, I learned how to sublimate myself — to become smaller, quieter, more acceptable.

Then one day, in 2023, that pattern broke. It broke profoundly. I was stripped down to the quietest, smallest, darkest place inside myself — and, at the risk of sounding cliché, that’s where I finally rose. I didn’t need the trappings anymore, or anyone’s approval. I lifted. I could fly.

My album Desperado Debutante was my first moment of standing unguarded — of turning slowly toward the light and saying, “This is me.” But I know it’s only the beginning. There are still deep rivers of storytelling, passion, truth, and play inside me waiting to be shared. It was my freedom song — my forgiveness of the years I lost to fear. And I’m grateful it all happened before it was too late.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There were so many times I almost gave up — so many embarrassments and failures. I fell on my face so many times, I’m not sure I even remembered what it was like to feel the sun anymore. There were also times when I tried to give my power away — to everyone around me. I kept surrendering my truth, my decision-making, my confidence — as if someone else might know better who I was meant to be.

And then, I lost everything. Including my voice. For eight years, I couldn’t sing, and I truly believed I might never sing again. Eventually, I stopped fighting and decided to surrender completely. Only then — after eight long years of silence — did I hear my voice again. It came back strong, clear, and free.

I dropped everything else in pursuit of that sound, with single-minded faith and passion. Looking back, I suppose I was stubborn — eight years without a voice before I would truly let go. But that surrender gave me my life back. I thank God every day for His grace.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I think my closest friends would say that what really matters to me is connection — to people, to nature, to learning, and to new experiences. I’m endlessly curious and always chasing something new, which makes sense for the way I create. I love to explore, to ask questions, to dive into unfamiliar places and ideas. That openness is what fuels my collaborations and my art.

They’d probably also say I love to laugh, and that I make them laugh too. I’m the friend who shows up — who listens, who cooks, who finds meaning in the small things. I love food, I love to cook for my family, and I love creating moments that bring people together.

I lost my mom when I was young, and I think that’s part of why connection matters to me so deeply. When she passed, I spent an entire day copying her recipes by hand — it was my way of holding on to her love. That experience taught me how the simplest things — a meal, a song, a shared story — can keep people alive in us. It’s also why I hug everyone so much — because I never know when it might be the last time I see them.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. If immortality were real, what would you build?
If immortality were real, I think at first I’d have an absolutely wonderful time — because then I could study everything I’ve ever wanted to study. I’d dive deeper into music, become a better artist, learn more languages, explore mathematics, nature, and probably about a hundred other fields at once. It would take me a while to believe it was real, and I’d probably go a little wild trying to do everything — which, honestly, isn’t that different from what I’m doing now.

I’d want to travel the world and understand every culture, down to its smallest details — the turns of phrase, the humor, the recipes, the stories passed around kitchen tables. I’d read every book I could find, sing every song that called to me, and try to bring as much joy as possible to others along the way.

But the truth is, I think immortality would also be unbearably sad — watching everyone you love move on while you stay. Maybe that’s why life is so precious: because we only have so much time to love, to create, to learn, and to share it all before it’s gone.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Image laying down in the grass sideways with purple jumpsuit and denim jacket
Styling / Makeup / Image Capture by: Nelly Reccia

Image standing on the stage at aviator nation with the Rocky Mountain Orchestra in a long black dress.
Image captured by
Randy Roberts

Standing in short sparkle dress at the Electric
Image captured by
Jim Coke

Film camera image captured by
Paula Crichton

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