Raquel Bitton, considered by many to be the foremost singer of French music in the U.S., has added dates to her current tour, which celebrates the life and music of legendary French chanteuse Edith Piaf.

Bitton has been touring with her show "Raquel Bitton Sings Edith Piaf." After sold-out performances at New York's Carnegie Hall, Los Angeles' Wiltern Theatre and Seattle's Benaroya Hall, Bitton decided to extend her shows into next year.

She has written that Piaf's music "grab[s] you and never let[s] you go. It's all in the text, not to mention her voice ... we all know what it still does to us. When I dug into her repertoire, she had recorded hundreds of songs. It became obvious to me that her life was in her song, and my passion grew deeper with every tune."

Bitton first gained attention singing at the San Francisco Fairmont Hotel's Venetian Room. She also has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

The San Francisco Ballet featured Bitton singing Piaf's songs with a 100-piece orchestra while dancers performed a story based on the French film classic "Les Enfants du Paradis."

Raquel Bitton tour dates:

June 17; Philadelphia, Pa.; Academy of Music

Aug. 19; Chicago, Ill.; Orchestra Hall

Sept. 22; Boston, Mass.; Symphony Hall

Oct. 13–14; Montreal, Quebec; Place des Arts

Jan. 20, 2001; San Diego, Calif.; Copley Symphony Hall

Mar. 23; Palm Desert, Calif.; McCallum Theatre

April 21; Atlanta, Ga.; Symphony Hall

June 23; Minneapolis, Minn.; Orchestra Hall