Tomorrow night, the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center (PAC) will welcome the crowned jewel of boys’ choirs, the Vienna Boys’ Choir.
The entire choir consists of approximately 100 boys between the ages of 10 to 14 divided into four 24 to 25 member choirs that either perform at home in Vienna or tour internationally. The choir’s repertoire includes a range from historical to more modern selections, from traditional Austrian folk music to pieces arranged specifically for the choir in the last few years.
The history of the choir dates back 500 years to the time of the Holy Roman Empire. Music department professor Alyson McLamore will give the pre-concert lecture on the choir’s history. She said when Maximilian I was crowned emperor of Austria, he needed a way to show off Vienna’s prestige.
“He loved Vienna,” McLamore said. “He wanted Vienna to be the imperial center. Well, he needed to elevate Vienna’s standing, and he felt that there needed to be a powerful court chapel Hofkapelle (court musicians). And part of what that needed was a great choir.”
Maximilian I signed on a small boy’s choir composed of six members which sang at mass or traveled with him, McLamore said. When Maximilian died and the choir had garnered approximately 15 more members, new emperor Charles IV did away with the choir immediately.
“Through family connections and dynastic things, Charles IV had the biggest swath of European land under his control that anyone has ever had or would ever had,” McLamore said. “The first thing he looked for were ways to cut the budget. Hhe didn’t care for music on the same level that his predecessor had, so he cut the choir right away in 1521.”
Yet after a seven-year hiatus, the choir was singing again.
“With his huge monarchy, Charles IV couldn’t manage it all on his own, so he wanted some deputies to be in charge of local regions,” McLamore said. “So he appointed his brother who thought that music helped sell things in a ceremonial way. So he reestablished the choir.”
The choir had another serious issue just after World War I when the empire fell apart — making the choir a civic responsibility to be maintained. Thus, the choir began touring internationally, and since then has created quite a reputation.
Director of Cal Poly Arts Steve Lerian said he has booked the Vienna Boys’ Choir before at other theaters and thought the group would be a good fit for the PAC.
“In that particular niche, they’re kind of the gold standard,” Lerian said. “They’re the best known boys’ choir in the world.”
Lerian said despite the niche following, the PAC should expect a fairly large turnout.
“I don’t think it’s going to be necessarily sold out, but I think it’ll be a very healthy audience approaching 1,000,” Lerian said.
The touring is actually part of the boys’ curriculum. The boys come from the Vienna Boys’ Choir Institute, which is a co-ed K-8 elementary school. When the boys reach the fifth grade, they can potentially join the choir and attend boarding school until the eighth grade. That is, if they pass their auditions.
Company tour manager Tania Jastrebov said the choir is extremely selective in who is brought into the choir. And, after all, the choir maintains a number of 100.
“There are between 300 to 400 children who will audition annually,” Jastrebov said. “And that is only for maybe 20 openings.”
Jastrebov also said because the choir is split into four 25-member groups, it upholds a balance between touring and performing in the choir’s hometown.
“Usually there are two choirs touring somewhere around the world and two choirs at home singing locally,” Jastrebov said.
So, when a bunch of pre-teen boys aren’t singing on tour, what are they doing? Jastrebov said they have it covered.
“We try to make that a full and interesting thing to do,” he said. “If we have free time on concert time we try to fill it up with activities.”
Jastrebov said most of the boys do not pursue a musical career, despite the intense curriculum and musical education.
“I would say certainly they will always have a wonderful background and appreciation for music,” Jastrebov said.
The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. with the free pre-concert lecture beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center (PAC) Pavillion Feb. 8. Student and general admission tickets are available at the PAC Ticket Office. Prices range from $16 to $42.