Vienna Boys Choir

The Vienna Boys Choir is one of the world’s most famous and oldest choirs. Boys have sung at Vienna's Imperial Chapel since at least 1296.

In 1498, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I established a Court Chapel in Vienna, specifying that boys be included among the singers - thus laying the foundation for the Choir. Today, the former imperial ensemble is a private, non-profit organization with a primary and grammar school serving 330 boys and girls ages six to nineteen, with a curriculum centered on choral music and singing.

The Choir’s education, recognized by UNESCO as cultural heritage, is open to all, regardless of origin, gender, nationality, or religion. There are currently 90 active choristers divided into four touring choirs, all performing as the “Vienna Boys Choir.” Together, they give nearly 300 concerts each year to almost half a million listeners.

Since 1924, the Choir has completed more than 1000 tours to 100 countries, performing some 29,000 concerts. On Sundays, the Choir sings Mass at Vienna’s Imperial Chapel with members of the Vienna Philharmonic and the men’s chorus of the Vienna State Opera.

They appear regularly at the Salzburg Festival and at the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert, and have worked with conductors including Joana Mallwitz, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Christian Thielemann, Simone Young, and Franz Welser-Möst. The Choir also partners with UNICEF and other charities and supports outreach programs offering free access to music education.

In 2023, the Vienna Boys Choir celebrated its 525th anniversary, marked by a live album on Deutsche Grammophon, a 21-CD Decca Classics box set, and a new history published by Böhlau. In 2024, the Vienna Boys Choir and Vienna Girls Choir received the European Culture Award.