RENO — Today is the first in a series of fundraisers to help the Reno-Tahoe Choral Ambassadors travel to Shaoxing, China to represent Reno in the World Choir Games in July. The group is comprised of more than 100 people representing three local choirs: the McQueen Core Jazz Ensemble, the Sierra Nevada Children’s Choir, and Bella Voce.

Today’s fundraiser is a concert by Bella Voce at 7:30 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, 200 Island Ave. in Reno.

The World Choir Games is a bi-annual Olympic-style event that brings together more than 20,000 singers from almost 100 nations to participate in a worldwide exchange of music. Having been held in international locations such as Austria, South Korea and Germany, the 2010 World Choir Games will be held July 15-26 in Shaoxing, China.

The Reno-Tahoe Choral Ambassadors will be the first singers from Nevada ever to travel to a World Choir Games competition. In addition to competing on an international stage, the Reno Tahoe Choral Ambassadors will also be representing Reno-Tahoe and encouraging participants to attend the American International Choral Festival in Reno, May 4-8, 2011. The event in Reno will be the only the second time that the festival has occurred in the United States. The Choral Ambassadors are responsible for raising all the funds associated with participating in and traveling to the China event.

The three choirs that are representing the region have joined forces to fundraise and help offset the approximately $300,000 it will take to send the members to China.

“The World Choir Games brings people from all nations and cultures together to share their love of choral music,” said Jennifer Tibben, director of Choral Activities at the University of Nevada, Reno and an artistic director for the Bella Voce Women’s Ensemble. “It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our singers to be able to attend an event like this, and they are excited to meet other choirs from around the world and share with them why Reno is such a great place.”

The community can help the Reno-Tahoe Choral Ambassadors reach their fundraising goal by attending two other concerts:

• Cami Thompson Benefit Concert, May 11, at 7:30 p.m. at Nightingale Concert Hall, UNR Campus. • Sierra Nevada Children’s Choir concert, May 15, at 3 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 1070 W. Plumb Lane, Reno. For more information, contact Tibben at 846-4250.