Bel Canto is an Italian phrase that literally means “beautiful singing,” but we are more than that. We are an ensemble of more than 40 outstanding musicians who believe in the power of live choral performances to entertain, inspire, heal, build community and express that which words alone cannot.
Singing is one of life’s most joyful acts and choral music celebrates the entirety of human experience. The expressive power of the human voice, an instrument we all share, has a tremendous ability to move us. Whether it is simply the shared joy of a sublime musical moment or a deeper psychological, spiritual or emotional encounter, singing has the power to bring us together no matter our color, creed or background.
In our 40 years as the Triad’s premier choral ensemble, the Bel Canto Company has engaged well over 200 of the region’s most talented singers, presented hundreds of concerts locally and throughout the Southeast, and performed thousands of pieces of music spanning the globe and the centuries. From our beginning in the 1982-1983 season until now, Bel Canto has been praised for our uniquely beautiful interpretation and sensitive tonal quality.
“Solid musicianship . . . phrasing was well shaped and ensemble work moved smoothly . . .
Colors were full and crisp . . . a sweet, agile delivery.”
– Kate Rivers, The Washington Post
Led by Artistic Director and Conductor Welborn Young, Bel Canto Company is a choral ensemble of professional singers dedicated to providing choral concert experiences of the highest caliber. The ensemble’s mission is to present exceptional, innovative, and engaging choral performances for diverse audiences in the Triad and beyond.
Over the years Bel Canto Company has released 14 albums, most recently Bel Canto Live! Joyful Noise (2019) and the breath of life (2019) featuring the world premiere of Dan Forrest’s 4-movement work of the same name, commissioned in memory of former Bel Canto Board President Suzanne Goddard. The ensemble has performed for many prestigious music festivals and conferences throughout the Southeast including Washington Cathedral’s Summer Music Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, and the American Choral Directors Association, Southern and NC Division Conferences, The American Guild of Organists Southeast Regional Convention and the National Endowment for the Arts “American Masterpieces: Choral Music” programs. The Company has performed with the American Boychoir, the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, the North Carolina Symphony, and the Carolina Chamber Symphony, and has been featured on National Public Radio on Chorus America’s “The First Art” and NPR’s “Performance Today”.
Albums
Auditions
Auditions for the Bel Canto Company 2024 – 2025 Season will be held Spring 2024 for both new and returning singers. If you don’t want to miss auditions, sign up for our e-newsletter!
Bel Canto Company is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation organized to advance the cause and further the enjoyment of choral singing. Bel Canto Company is a professional member of Chorus America, and receives support from ArtsGreensboro, the North Carolina Arts Council, and hundreds of local businesses and individuals who believe that professional choral music is necessary to the cultural fabric of the Triad.