Vienna Boys Choir to perform at First United Methodist Church
The Vienna Boys Choir will perform as part of the McCain Performance Series on Oct. 28. Photo courtesy of Lukas Beck.
Kansas State University's McCain Performance Series presents the Vienna Boys Choir at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, at First United Methodist Church in Manhattan on Poyntz Avenue.
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 19, 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 1,000 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. Erasmus Baumgartner was appointed Artistic Director in 2023.
Tickets are available online at mccain.k-state.edu or at the ticket office in the McCain lobby from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays. Tickets are also available by phone at 785-532-6428 during the same hours.
Discounts are available for bundling your choice of seven or more events as a package or purchasing as a group of 10 or more. Youth tickets are 50% off general public prices for patrons 17 and younger. Discounts of 10% are also available for active military, K-State faculty and staff, and seniors 65 and older. Valid IDs will be required. For more information, email mccain@k-state.edu or call the McCain ticket office.