The Vienna Boys Choir is coming to Fort Scott Community College on Friday, Nov. 10. The performance will be at 7 p.m. at the Ellis Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton.
“FSCC was excited to partner with the Vienna Boys Choir to highlight our wonderful facility and offer the community of Fort Scott a performance from this famous choir,” Tom Havron, FSCC Vice President of Student Affairs said. “All excess revenue generated from the performance will go to student scholarships from the FSCC Foundation.”
“The Vienna Boys Choir is one of the most famous choirs in the world, and one of its oldest,” according to a press release. “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.
“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 Joana Mallwitz, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Christian Thielemann, and Simone Young. Recent highlights include appearances at the Salzburg Festival and the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert.
“The Vienna Boys Choir’s singing tradition is listed by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) as an intangible cultural heritage in Austria. Professor Gerald Wirth, himself a former choirboy, is the Artistic Director of the entire Campus.”
“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 a third of the students go on to become music professionals.