Dolce Canto chorus performs in Ronan

Mission Valley Live presents Dolce Canto, Missoula’s premier a capella chorus, at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, at the Ronan Performing Arts Center.

Dolce Canto enriches the lives of its members and audiences by performing exceptional and diverse choral music with compelling artistry and sensitivity.

Tickets are $13 for advance purchase or $15 at the door. College students with ID are admitted for $5 and youth 18 and under are admitted free.

Dolce Canto began in 2001. The idea for the choir was sparked when several friends who had sung together in other ensembles grew nostalgic for the wonderful a cappella compositions they had studied and performed in high school and college. They decided to gather in order to read through some of these works. Satisfied with the outcome of this experiment, the group was inspired to program a public concert. Their premiere performance was well-received, and led to the official formation of Dolce Canto. The group quickly developed a reputation for musical excellence. The group has grown from its original eight members to an auditioned ensemble of over 30 singers. The choir consists of professional musicians, music teachers, community members and students who share an enthusiasm for choral music. While primarily sticking to its a cappella roots, Dolce Canto has also delved into several accompanied works and has premiered compositions by outstanding living composers.

The choir performs several programs each year for both public and private audiences, and has been featured on programs of 2 Valleys Stage, Madison River Music Festival, Mineral County Performing Arts Series, Sanders County Performing Arts Series and St. Timothy’s Summer Music Festival. In February 2013, Dolce Canto was invited to perform in New York’s Carnegie Hall.

For more information, visit www.missionvalleylive.com or call 887-2739.