Kelly Rocchi, Director of The Bel Canto Youth Chorus

Kelly S. Rocchi has been the Choral Director at Nazareth Area High since 2006. A graduate of Penn State University, she has also earned a Masters in Vocal Performance from West Chester University. She is the director of the high school Concert Choir (non auditioned “come-all” choir), Nightingales (select treble ensemble), Cantus (select SATB ensemble), and oversees two student directed a cappella groups. She also teaches four levels of piano and two levels of music theory at the high school. Nazareth Area School District was recognized as one of the best in the nation for music education by the NAMM Foundation for the past five years.

Kelly has served as the guest conductor for several choral festivals and was selected as the Penn State School of Music Outstanding Music Education Alumni Award winner for the 2020-2021 school year. Kelly was also named as a Semi-Finalist in the Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year Program for the 2021 school year. The Nightingales, Nazareth Area High School’s select treble choir, has been invited to sing at several American Choral Directors Association-PA Fall Conferences and Pennsylvania Music Educators Association State Conferences as well as at the 2019 National Association for Music Educators/PMEA Eastern Division Conference. Kelly and her husband Michael live in Coopersburg with their 11-year old twins, Allie and Cameron.

Alaina Swartz, Bel Canto Youth Chorale Conductor

Alaina Swartz is the director of the Bel Canto Youth Chorale. Originally from Reading, PA, Alaina has spent the last 16 years in the Lehigh Valley as a music educator and choral musician. Alaina earned her Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Susquehanna University, graduating Magna Cum Laude, and her Master of Music in Music Education from Ithaca College. She began her career in the Parkland School District at Springhouse Middle School, instructing the choral program and general music classes. Under her tenure, the choir increased fourfold in enrollment. She has most recently taught at Kernsville Elementary School, teaching classroom and choral music. In addition to the classroom, Alaina has taught studio voice and piano lessons. Alaina has performed with the Lehigh Valley Choral Union and Allentown Symphony Orchestra Chorus. Alaina is passionate about developing an appreciation of the choral arts while fostering healthy vocal development. She is excited to join the Bach Choir family and to share her enthusiasm with the students in the Bel Canto Youth Chorale.

Leah Kun, choir manager of the Bel Canto Youth Chorus

Leah Kun is the choir manager for the Bel Canto Youth Chorus as well as the Marketing and Development Assistant for The Bach Choir of Bethlehem. In 2020, Leah graduated with a B.M. in Music Education from Westminster Choir College, graduating Summa Cum Laude. In the summer of 2020, Leah opened an online, private voice studio to allow for young singers to continue singing and developing vocal technique through the pandemic. She also began singing in the Bach Choir in the 2020-2021 season, and she is now in her third year. In January of 2022, Leah began to study opera performance. Since then, she has performed roles in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea and Handel’s Alcina. Leah has worked with The Bel Canto Youth Chorus since November of 2022, and she is enthusiastic about the season ahead.

Andrea Berntsen, collaborative pianist

Andrea Berntsen started playing piano at age of three and became a professional accompanist at the age of thirteen. She earned a BM in Piano Performance from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, and an MM in Piano and Organ Performance from the Yale University School of Music, New Haven, Connecticut. Ms. Berntsen has been an active church organist and choir director for close to fifty years and currently resides in Allentown, PA where she continues working as a church musician in addition to freelancing as a keyboard accompanist.

Tina Lebrecht, collaborative pianist

Mrs. Tina Lebrecht holds a BS in Music Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a major concentration in piano and minor concentrations in flute, voice and organ.  She is a graduate of Kutztown University with a MEd as a Reading Specialist.  She has been singing with the Bach Choir since 1988 and is a newly retired music teacher from the Southern Lehigh School District.  Active as a children’s choir director for more than 30 years both in church and school, Mrs. Lebrecht is eager to serve as an accompanist and brings her expertise in working with middle school students to Youth Chorale

2024-2025 Program Fees

Tuition helps cover the cost of our summer retreat, scholarship recital, folders, music, rehearsal & concert venues, and other special performances & opportunities.

Da Capo Treble Choir Tuition – $350 for the year ($175 per semester)

Youth Chorale Tuition – $500 for the year ($250 per semester)

Concert Choir Tuition – $300 for the fall semester (CC runs the fall semester only)

Concert Choir Spring Workshops – $125 per workshop, $250 for both workshops (two workshop sessions will run spring semester: January 22 – February 19 and March 26 – April 23)

Tuition Payment Schedule

Tuition may be paid by one of four ways:

• 1 check for the entire balance due
• 1 checks per semester (applies to Youth Chorale students only; $200 per semester)
• Credit card invoicing
• Equal monthly installments debited from your bank account

Financial Aid

Financial assistance is available, allotted on the basis of need. Students who require assistance must submit an application (provided by the choir manager) with copies of the previous year’s income tax return.