The Bel Canto Children's Chorus was founded in 1993 by Dr. Joy Hirokawa.

A visiting instructor of music at Moravian College, Hirokawa formed the concert choir for youngsters in sixth through 12th grades in Red Hill.

Hirokawa was teaching in the Upper Perkiomen School system when she began the choir.

She said there was a symphony program for youth in the Lehigh Valley but no professional children's choir program.

In 2013, the choir was expanded to include second through sixth grade.

And, last September the choir expanded to also include an apprentice choir for singers in grades six to eight, which Hirokawa directs.

The executive director is Toni Marie Palmertree from Pottstown, who has children's choir experience and a degree in opera from the Peabody Conservatory, Baltimore, Md.

Students in the choir include those who reside in the five neighboring counties from Bethlehem to King of Prussia.

Kirsten Olsen directs the Prep and Intermediate choirs in Trappe near Collegeville.

Stacy Hageman from Nazareth is the director of the group that meets at Nativity Lutheran Church, Allentown.

To audition for the choir, a student should have basic musical skills and love to sing.

The Bel Canto concert choir, chamber, prep and intermediate chorus perform pieces sung in many languages including Chinese, Russian, Czech, Spanish, Latin and Japanese.

Practice, including stretching and exercises, helps build character and teaches the youngsters who they are and how to discover their voices.

There are two concerts each year, one in the winter, the other in the spring.

The touring choir takes part in eight to 10 concerts a year. There will be auditions by appointment July 14 at Nativity.

For information, visit belcantochildren.com.