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“Their tone is pristine, their dynamics perfectly rendered, but of course it is their youth and pure soprano voices that make them unique.”

Charleston Post and Courier

“the angelic voices of this most famous vocal group are ageless”

The Salt Lake Tribune

“a superb musical ensemble…[with] clarion sound”

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

“Presenting a diverse and challenging array of vocal music spanning many centuries, the Vienna Boys’ Choir, under the direction and accompaniment of Oliver Stech, connected emotionally and artistically with Friday’s audience. Their lyricism, diction, and highly refined voices, trained and honed to dizzying standards, soared and sparkled throughout the evening…From walking reverently onstage while singing a gentle Latin a-cappella Gregorian chant and onward toward their final three curtain calls, the world-famous Vienna Boys’ Choir delivered their musical message of peace: music unites; it does not divide…”

Colorado Springs Gazette

“Besides the eclectic programming, let’s not forget the sheer wonder of young voices thoroughly trained and ensembles carefully crafted, and all of it performed from memory. It seemed as though nothing could set Carnegie’s vast space ringing like a high, finely-tuned major triad sung in vibratoless straight tone.”

New York Classical Review

“They are beloved the world over for their lively singing style and beautiful tone and have commissioned a number of new works, including Britten’s The Golden Vanity.”

Broadway World Boston

“…totally disciplined voices tempered by a singular sense of ease and consistency, and a sound conveying ebullience, humor or solemnity as the music called for.”

Washington Post

“Pure and pristine sound…”

San Francisco Chronicle

“There’s no more gratifying sound than that of children singing. And there’s no more polished ensemble of children’s voices than the Vienna Boys Choir.”

Fort Worth Star Telegram

“There’s something eternal and powerful about the young singers and how they bring such beauty and precision to some of the most important classical music of all time.”

Hollywood Soapbox

The Vienna Boys Choir is one of the most famous choirs in the world, and one of its oldest. In 1498, Emperor Maximilian I moved his court to Vienna to establish the Chapel Imperial there, along with the Vienna Boys Choir. Over the centuries, the court attracted musicians like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Anton Bruckner. Joseph Haydn, Michael Haydn, and Franz Schubert were themselves choirboys.

Today the Vienna Boys Choir is a private, non-profit organization, which relies on sponsorship and donations. The Choir maintains a primary school, a junior and a senior high school. 300 boys and girls between the ages of six and 19 attend the Choir’s Schools in Vienna’s Augarten park. All receive individual voice lessons and sing in one of the choirs. The Choir’s education is open to all, regardless of their origin, nationality, or religion. About third of the students go on to become music professionals.

The 100 boy choristers between the ages of nine and fourteen are divided into four choirs. Between them, the choirs give around 300 concerts each year, attended by almost half a million spectators around the world. Since 1924, the boys have sung over 1000 tours in 100 different countries, which has resulted in a staggering 29,000 performances. At the Sunday services in Vienna’s Imperial Chapel, they perform with members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the State Opera Chorus. The Choir frequently appears with major orchestras, conducted by the likes of Joana Mallwitz, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Christian Thielemann, and Simone Young. Recent highlights include appearances at the Salzburg Festival and at the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert.

The Vienna Boys Choir’s singing tradition is listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage in Austria. Professor Gerald Wirth, himself a former choirboy, is the Artistic Director of the entire Campus.

2023-2024