Started in 1995 by 10 young Australian guys who liked to sing, The Ten Tenors has since grown into an international touring group.

Although they have visited the United States before, Sunday will mark their first visit to State College.

The Ten Tenors began touring in Australia soon after their group formed.

However, it was an invitation to sing at a cabaret in Berlin, Germany in early 2001 that got them out of Australia and jumpstarted their rise to fame.

The Ten Tenors met each other at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Brisbane, Australia, while studying opera. At first, their motivation for starting a group was, jokingly, to "pay for beer money," said Ten Tenor Craig Atkinson.

After forming, the group quickly grew into something much larger when they began to get more work.

Though the lineup of men has changed since, their dedication to music remains the same. Today, The Ten Tenors range in age from early 20s to early 30s, allowing them to attract a range of audiences and to incorporate many different kinds of music.

With a name like The Ten Tenors, you might be tempted to compare them to The Three Tenors.

But don't expect to attend the concert and hear only classical music sung in languages you can't understand.

While a segment of arias from major operas is part of their concert, they enjoy singing in a range of styles and genres including songs like "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, and songs by the Beach Boys and the Bee Gees.

"It's hard to define what we do," Atkinson said. "We just like to sing interesting music, music with conflicts and interesting vocal singing."

"The best way I can think of to describe it is a concert delivered in the style of a show," Atkinson added.

After several years of extensive touring -- sometimes up to 10 months a year -- and performing in venues from Switzerland to Singapore to Canada, The Ten Tenors are looking forward to reaching their 1,000th concert later this year.

The Ten Tenors are experienced musicians dedicated to giving great performances. While the group's main focus onstage is singing, they try to offer a variety to their audiences.

"There are not a lot of ways to move in a three-piece suit ... but we attempt to dance, too," Atkinson said.

The Ten Tenors currently have a new CD on the market in the United States entitled Larger Than Life, which was released by Rhino Records in September.

"The Ten Tenors are not a household name yet, but I have no doubt that they will become one as more and more people hear their music and experience their charm and humor on stage," said Laura Sullivan, Center of Performing Arts marketing and communications director.