“Together we save the Vienna Boys' Choir”: with these words, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehhammer (ÖVP) commented in a meeting with the leader of the Boys' Choir, Erich Artold. The traditional Viennese Boys Choir is suffering from a severe lack of funds.
The Vienna Boys Choir was founded in 1498
Nehammer asserted that the boys' choir should be able to “go into the coming year without any existential concerns.” The Vienna Boys Choir traces its tradition back to 1498. At that time, the future Emperor Maximilian I moved his court and his court music from various residences to Vienna and laid the foundations for the Vienna Court Orchestra and the Vienna Boys Choir.
Since 2004, the choir has been a girls' equivalent of the children's choir
About 100 singers between the ages of 9 and 14 are divided into four choirs that perform around the world. Since 2004, the Vienna Choral Girls have been performing in parallel, as well as individually. President Artold warned of impending bankruptcy. The choir, which is run by a non-profit organization, does not have the funds to continue operations until the end of the season at the end of August, he told the “Kronenziedung”.
Costs are very high during the season
According to Artold, the choir generates two-thirds of its income through 300 international concerts a year. Operations are back on track after the collapse caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but costs for venues, hotels, flights and staff have risen sharply. “You can't send it to the audience, otherwise it won't come anymore,” Artold said.
With information from dpa
