Vienna Boys Choir Coming to Carnegie Hall, 12/13

One of the world's oldest and most revered choral groups, the Vienna Boys Choir, will perform Christmas in Vienna at Carnegie Hall- Isaac Stern Auditorium on December 13, 2015 at 2pm. Tickets can be purchased by calling 212-247-7800 or click here for more information.

Presented by Opus 3 Artists, the illustrious group of child musicians has been delighting music lovers across the globe for six centuries with their purity of tone, distinctive charm and popular and diverse repertoire. Christmas in Vienna showcases these gifted musicians with voices of unforgettable beauty in an extraordinary program featuring classical masterpieces, popular songs and, of course, holiday favorites.

Vivaldi, Handel, Poulenc, Mozart and Henry Purcell find their place in the program, as well as beloved holiday classics like "Let it Snow", "O Holy Night", and "Jingle Bells". The first half of the program includes both Claudio Monteverdi and Camille Saint-Saëns' "Ave Maria" as well as the traditional English carol, "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day". The second half of the program celebrates Christmas favorites from Austria, Germany and the United States authored and arranged by composers from the 16th to the 20th centuries.

This program, conducted by Ms. Bomi Kim, is a celebration of the holiday season and the rich history and phenomenal sound for which the Vienna Boys Choir is known.

About the Vienna Boys Choir
Founded in 1498 under the reign of Austrian Emperor Maximilian I, the Vienna Boys Choir has remained a symbol of artistic perfection and purity for over six centuries. Today there are 100 choristers from 30 different nations between the ages of ten and fourteen, divided into four touring choirs. Between them, the four choirs give around 300 concerts and performances each year in front of almost half a million people. They visit virtually all European countries, and they are frequent guests in Asia, Australia and the Americas.

Gerald Wirth, the choir's artistic director and president, received his first musical training as a member of the choir and at the Bruckner Konservatorium in Linz, Austria, where he studied voice, oboe and piano. He has conducted choirs and orchestras in many countries, and played and sung himself in a number of ensembles. His first love is the voice; as is evident from his compositions: he has written four children's operas, a Mass, motets and countless arrangements for choirs. In 2001, Wirth became the artistic director of the Vienna Boys Choir, in 2013, he was elected president. While he is keenly aware of the choir's rich tradition, he continuously explores new ways to create and make music. Wirth firmly believes that music has a positive influence on every aspect of a personality

Bomi Kim was born in Korea. She obtained a masters degree from the Music University in Vienna, where she studied voice, Gregorian chant, and choral conducting with Erwin Ortner. While still a student, she toured Korea, Japan, and the United States as a conductor. Bomi Kim sings herself, both as an alto soloist and as a choir member. She has been a guest member of the National Chamber Choir of Ireland, and is a member of the prestigious Arnold Schönberg Chor in Vienna. She has recorded CDs with Paul Hillier and the women's group "Resupina". In 2010, she won first prize at the Guido d'Arezzo competition in Italy, and in December 2013, she received the Erwin-Ortner Award for choral conducting. This season, she recorded two CDs with the Vienna Boys' Choir, and she also conducted the choir on the set of Curt Faudon's film "Songs for Mary". For Bomi Kim, a choir is about community, about working together to achieve a common goal. She loves her work with the Vienna Boys Choir. Music should move: "I make the boys laugh, and they make me laugh. That is a wonderful feeling, and we want to share the sentiment with the audience."