The Vienna Boys Choir Holiday Concert Comes to Bucks County Playhouse in December

 This holiday season, Bucks County Playhouse will present one of the world’s most beloved youth choirs as part of its Visiting Artist Series. The holiday concert kicks off a new community partnership initiative with a one-night-only performance on December 14 at 8 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe R.C. Church, 5194 Cold Spring Creamery Road, Doylestown, PA. Tickets and are on sale now at www.buckscountyplayhouse.org or contact the box office at 215.862.2121.

“Since I arrived here in Bucks County last year, I have been interested in reaching beyond the historic Playhouse stage to present work in other geographic areas of the community,” says Managing Director, Adele Adkins. “I am absolutely thrilled we can bring holiday cheer to Doylestown this season, by presenting one of the most iconic choirs in the world. We look forward to meeting new friends in the Doylestown area and hope that they will become long-time patrons of the Playhouse and come sample everything we offer at our home base in New Hope.”

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 repertoire. The enormously popular chorus is composed of four touring choirs that hail from dozens of nations and together give over 300 concerts a year around the world. “Christmas in Vienna” showcases these gifted musicians with voices of unforgettable beauty in an extraordinary program featuring Austrian folk songs, classical masterpieces, popular songs and, of course, holiday favorites.

Bucks County Playhouse’s Visiting Artist Series represents one of the few times on the calendar when outside producers take the stage to showcase their work. Renowned and unique performers from across the country — and around the globe — join local favorites for a lineup of crowd-pleasing fare that run through the end of the year.

The Vienna Boys Choir is one of the most famous choirs in the world, and one of its oldest. In 1498, Emperor Maximilian I moved his court to Vienna to establish the Chapel Imperial there, along with the Vienna Boys Choir. Over the centuries, the court attracted musicians like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Anton Bruckner. Joseph Haydn, Michael Haydn, and Franz Schubert were themselves choirboys.

Today the Vienna Boys Choir is a private, non-profit organization, which relies on sponsorship and donations. The Choir maintains a primary school, a junior and a senior high school. 300 boys and girls between the ages of six and 19 attend the Choir's Schools in Vienna's Augarten park. All receive individual voice lessons and sing in one of the choirs. The Choir's education is open to all, regardless of their origin, nationality, or religion. About third of the students go on to become music professionals.

The 100 boy choristers between the ages of nine and fourteen are divided into four choirs. Between them, the choirs give around 300 concerts each year, attended by almost half a million spectators around the world. Since 1924, the boys have sung over 1000 tours in 100 different countries, which has resulted in a staggering 29,000 performances. At the Sunday services in Vienna’s Imperial Chapel, they perform with members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the State Opera Chorus. The Choir frequently appears with major orchestras, conducted by the likes of Joana Mallwitz, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Christian Thielemann, and Simone Young. Recent highlights include appearances at the Salzburg Festival and at the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year’s Concert.

The Vienna Boys Choir's singing tradition is listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage in Austria. Professor Gerald Wirth, himself a former choirboy, is the Artistic Director of the entire Campus.

Single tickets are on sale now. Tickets start at $55, special rates are available for groups of 10 or more. For complete details, up-to-date pricing and to purchase general admission tickets, please visit buckscountyplayhouse.org or call 215.862.2121.

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