A trip out to Rockville is no minor undertaking for a committed city dweller, but the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington hosts a concert series that offers regular enticement. For the Sunday evening recital by Bejun Mehta (his first ever in the Washington area), rain did not prevent an impressive crowd from filling the center’s small auditorium. The celebrated American countertenor has been in town this month, for the Washington Concert Opera’s performance of Handel’s opera Orlando.

The story of Bejun Mehta borders on incredible. He was a celebrated boy soprano, with enough talent to have released a self-titled CD in 1992. When his voice broke into a mediocre baritone, Mehta seemed washed up until he attempted singing as a countertenor, an adult man who sings in the female vocal range, usually in falsetto. Since a 1998 breakthrough performance with New York City Opera, Mehta has sung in operas and concerts around the world. His musical connections have been fortunate — his father is Zubin Mehta’s cousin, and he has been championed by Leonard Bernstein and Marilyn Horne — but his success would not have been possible without that remarkable voice.

Countertenors have returned to classical music because of the revival of interest in Baroque opera. For proof of their acceptance, we have only to see that countertenors are now singing on the stages of the world’s major opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera. Countertenors are even giving recitals in Rockville, and some are claiming repertory far beyond Baroque opera. Mehta was entirely convincing in this recital, a sagely programmed evening of songs that was, with a few minor blemishes, exquisitely performed. His voice is velours from bottom to (almost top), rarely shrill and joined well as it descends into the normal male range. Excellent breath support allows him to spin out lovely, long vocal lines, and he has a charismatic stage presence.