Wiener Sängerknaben

The Vienna Boys Choir is one of the most famous and oldest choirs in the world. The first recorded mention of a schola for choirboys at the Vienna court dates back to 1296. Two hundred years later, on July 7, 1498, Emperor Maximilian I established a (music) chapel in and for Vienna, in which boys were also to sing—laying the foundation for the Vienna Boys Choir. The choir frequently traveled with their imperial patron, performing at imperial diets, coronations, and weddings. Over the centuries, the Viennese court attracted brilliant musicians such as Christoph Willibald Gluck and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Joseph Haydn, Michael Haydn, and Franz Schubert sang in the choir as boys; Antonio Salieri served as court Kapellmeister, while Anton Bruckner was a teacher of the court choirboys.

Today, the Vienna Boys Choir is a private, non-profit association that finances itself through concerts and tours, relying additionally on donations and sponsors. The organization operates a primary school and a secondary school with a strong focus on vocal training. The Augarten Campus is home to 330 children and young people between the ages of 6 and 18. In addition to the Vienna Boys Choir, the campus includes the Vienna Girls Choir, Chorus Primus, and Chorus Juventus. Recognized by UNESCO, this musical education is open to all, regardless of background, gender, nationality, or religion. The active members of the Vienna Boys Choir are divided into four touring choirs, collectively giving nearly 300 performances each year to almost half a million people worldwide.

On Sundays, they perform with members of the Vienna Philharmonic and the men’s choir of the Vienna State Opera at the Imperial Chapel in Vienna. They frequently take part in major orchestral concerts under conductors such as Philippe Jordan, Joana Mallwitz, Riccardo Muti, Christian Thielemann, Franz Welser-Möst, and Simone Young. Highlights include performances at the Salzburg Festival and the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Concert. In 2024, the Vienna Boys Choir and the Vienna Girls Choir were jointly awarded the European Culture Prize.

Erasmus Baumgartner serves as the Artistic Director of the entire Augarten Campus, while Erich Arthold is the President of the association.

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