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2025 Spring Concert

Our Mission

“Connecting Song and Community” through exemplary collaborations of artistic diversity. We are committed to fostering and preserving a culture of diversity, accessibility, and inclusion. We believe music encourages creativity and promotes civic engagement and a healthy community. Belle Voci welcomes singers of all backgrounds, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, races, religious beliefs, and mental and physical abilities.

CONNECTING SONG AND COMMUNITY

OUR STORY

Belle Voci is an auditioned choir comprised of treble (soprano, alto) voices in our local Pittsburgh community. We sing an eclectic repertoire that inspires and excites our audiences.

We believe music encourages creativity. Music promotes civic engagement and a healthy community. Our Mission is “Connecting Song and Community” through exemplary collaborations of artistic diversity.

We are committed to fostering and preserving a culture of diversity, accessibility, and inclusion. Our rehearsals and performances are accessible via public transportation. Our Sensory Friendly Performances are free, open to the public and widely accessible. Belle Voci welcomes singers of all backgrounds, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, races, religious beliefs, and mental and physical abilities.

Belle Voci and Solo Voci are "In-Residence" and rehearse weekly at Aspinwall Presbyterian Church. The church provides office and music storage space free of charge. In return, our ensembles happily provide special music for occasional worship services throughout the church year.

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Belle Voci was founded in 2012 by Craig Cannon, who currently serves as the organization’s President.

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Over the years, we have honored movements that matter such as Andrea Ramsey’s Suffrage Cantata, which celebrates the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the 19th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. We sang inspiring and educational works such as Anne Frank: A Living Voice by Linda Tutas Haugen; and a set of Signal Songs of the Underground Railroad.

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"Sing for the Cure," funded by the Susan G. Komen Foundation was based on true stories of breast cancer survivors. Our "Forward Into Light" repertoire, "Loving the Stranger," featured the title piece, written exclusively for Belle Voci by David P. Goldstein.

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In 2023, Lorraine Milovac began serving as our Artistic Director. Under Lorraine’s leadership, we began hosting the Western Pennsylvania Treble Choir Festival in the fall as an opportunity to bring together high school, university, and community choirs.

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This past season, Belle Voci performed new modern arrangements of beloved tunes such as Joni Mitchell’s “River,” arranged by Au Arias. We premiered an exclusive collection based on poetry, “Suite Dreams,” by local musician Bryan Sable.

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Our choir has expanded our reach globally with concert tours to Austria, Czech Republic, France and Spain.

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Meet the Belle Voci Board of Directors!

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Our Team Works!

The leadership team is responsible for the operational excellence of our organization. A lot goes on behind the scenes to creating beautiful music!

 

From directing to ticketing, to marketing, to fundraising, these folks volunteer their time and energy to connect song and community.

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Artistic Director: Lorraine Milovac

Accessibility Coordinator; Ticket Sales Manager: Craig G. Cannon (craig.g.cannon@gmail.com )

Collaborative Pianist: Kelsey Benigni

Director of Solo Voci: Rachel Eaton

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Board's Recording Secretary: Roberta Nicholas

Bookkeeper; Donations Coordinator; Online Ticket Sales: Mikayla Ferchaw

Concert Program Designer: Emily Duque

Director of Marketing and Communications: Alexis Bovalino

​Fundraising Coordinator:  Gail Planz-Wachter

Grant Writers: Craig G. Cannon, Mary Findlay

Music Librarians: Doris Zurawka and Mary Findlay

Choir Operations Manager: Pamela Bruchwalski

Singers Liaison to the Board: Mary Findlay

Social Media Relations:  Alexis Bovalino, Kaitlyn Clougherty, and Carly Tansimore

Ticket Pre-Sales and Membership Dues Assistant: Pamela Kimmel

Webmasters: Alexis Bovalino, Carolina Cappetta, and Kaitlyn Clougherty

Lorraine Milovac, Belle Voci Artistic Director

Lorraine Milovac is the Artistic Director of Belle Voci, a community-based, adult treble (soprano, alto) choral ensemble, and is in her 28th year as the Director of the University of Pittsburgh’s Treble Choral Ensemble.

A recently retired high school choral director, Ms. Milovac taught in the Upper St. Clair and Woodland Hills school districts. During her tenures, she conducted multiple-level choirs, sponsored both the International Thespian Society and Tri M Music Honor Society, and served as vocal director for the musicals. Her choirs and students were consistently selected to perform in the PMEA All-State and NAfME All-Eastern Division and National conferences. She has served as guest conductor for ACDA, PMEA, and County Chorus festivals.

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Ms. Milovac is the Assistant Director of Music at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania, having previously served churches in the Serbian Orthodox and United Methodist traditions. She has performed in Europe with the Pittsburgh Concert Chorale, and locally with the Masterworks Concert Chorale, the Czarica Milica Serbian Women’s Choir, and Voces Solis’ Summer Singers. Lorraine was chosen in 2009 as one of the top one-hundred teachers in eighty-three school districts for the Teacher Excellence Center program. In 2023, Ms. Milovac was the recipient of the PMEA Citation of Excellence Award, a recognition given to PMEA members who have made lasting contributions in their area of teaching.

In addition to her work as conductor-clinician, Ms. Milovac teaches private voice, piano, and musical theatre classes, and maintains an active presence in professional, community, and high school theatre productions as a performer, vocal director, and musician. She holds membership in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA), NAfME: National Association for Music Education, and the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA).

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Craig G. Cannon, President

Craig G. Cannon is the founder, former Artistic Director, and current President of Belle Voci. As a biracial conductor, he has always had a passion for singing, creating quality art in the form of group singing performances, and for using music as a path to community outreach and

social justice. 

 

While still teaching at Fox Chapel Area High School (FCAHS), Craig began to dream about creating a community-based choir for treble voices that would continue to be part of his musical life following retirement. He spent two years making detailed plans, and on September 5, 2012, he led Belle Voci in its first official rehearsal.

 

After 34 years at FCAHS, 10 years serving as adjunct faculty of the Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University, and 11 seasons in the dual roles of Artistic Director and President of Belle Voci, Craig settled into his sole role as BV’s President on June 1, 2023. As President, Craig continues the work of Belle Voci’s mission to Connect Song and Community, promoting the overall goals of supporting and preserving a culture of diversity, accessibility, and inclusion; all the while believing music can encourage creativity, promote civic engagement, and demand social

justice within a healthy community.

 

Recognizing his career-long work in the field of choral music, in 2017 Craig Cannon was presented with the Elaine Brown Award for Choral Excellence by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. His professional affiliations include the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), Chorus America, National Association for Music

Education (NAfME), and the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA). Mr. Cannon is a life member of ACDA and served both as President and Treasurer of the Pennsylvania chapter. He also completed a two-year term as President of ACDA’s Eastern Division from 2002-2004.

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Kelsey Benigni, Collaborative Pianist

Kelsey Benigni is a pianist and accompanist based in Pittsburgh, PA and has been serving as Belle Voci’s accompanist since January 2022. A graduate of both Duquesne University (Bachelor of Science in Music Education, 2017) and Boston University (Master of Music in Music Education, 2021), Kelsey taught instrumental and vocal music in public schools for five years and is an active musician in the Pittsburgh area.

 

At Duquesne, Kelsey studied classical piano with Sister Carole Riley and was the recipient of two awards for Excellence in Piano Performance by the university piano faculty. She also sang and served as section leader in the Pappert Chorale. Upon graduation, Kelsey was awarded the PMEA Society for Music Teacher Education Award for Scholarship and Research and the Presser Foundation Undergraduate Scholar Award. 

 

In addition to accompanying Belle Voci, Kelsey has served as a piano accompanist with the Pittsburgh Youth Chorus, at Faith United Methodist Church in Fox Chapel, and for a range of school choral programs, musicals, and festivals, including PMEA and the Allegheny Valley Honors Band.

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Rachel Eaton, Solo Voci Director

Rachel Eaton received her bachelor’s degree from Yale University in 2002 and her PhD in cognitive psychology from Harvard University in 2007, where she was also the recipient of the Derek Bok Prize, a university-wide award for excellence in teaching. Trained in voice, violin, and musical theater, Rachel served as the musical director and CD producer of a women’s a cappella ensemble at Yale University and has performed in multiple ensembles and theater productions at Yale, Harvard, and around the Pittsburgh area. Her love of teaching led Rachel to become a preschool music teacher and advocate for early music education. Rachel is proud to have sung with Belle Voci since its inception in 2012, and she was thrilled when she was asked to form Solo Voci, which she has directed and performed with since 2015.

Family

SENSORY FRIENDLY CONCERTS

Music is for Everyone

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About Sensory Friendly Concerts

Belle Voci is pleased to present Sensory Friendly concerts twice per season. Our winter concert is at East Liberty Presbyterian Church's Social Hall.

We believe that music is for everyone, and the following provisions aid in our patrons' enjoyment of these performances. ​

 

Complimentary tickets and transportation arrangements are funded by grants, and we are grateful for their support.

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Genuine Understanding

  • Freedom to move around as needed during the performance

  • Patrons may talk, make noise, or leave their seats during the performance

  • Patrons may bring their own manipulatives and support items

  • Shorter in length performance

 

​Please contact President and Accessibility Coordinator, Craig Cannon at craig.g.cannon@gmail.com for all Sensory Friendly performance information, ticket provisions, and special offerings.

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Assistance and Support

  • Our volunteers are trained in assisting patrons as needed.

  • There is a help desk for extra assistance.

  • We provide sensory support items such as gadgets, earplugs, manipulatives.

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Venue Enhancements

  • You can tour the facility before the performance.

  • There are quiet areas available within the venue.

  • We lower both the lighting and sound of the performance. 

Sensory Friendly Concert Photos

LIAISONS

Mara and Suzannah help to ensure our Sensory Friendly Concerts are fun, inviting, safe and supportive.

IN RESIDENCE

Aspinwall Presbyterian Church

Belle Voci is "In-Residence" at Aspinwall Presbyterian Church.

 

Belle Voci and Solo Voci currently hold weekly rehearsals at Aspinwall Presbyterian Church. The church provides office and music storage space free of charge. In return, our ensembles happily

provide special music for occasional worship services throughout the church year. Please visit APC's website.

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