Vienna Boys' Choir

Imbued with refreshing innocence and steeped in the tradition of classical melodies, the VIENNA BOYS CHOIR brought the sound of Christmas in Vienna to a delighted audience at the Valley Performing Arts Center. Conducted by choirmaster Jimmy Chiang, the choir delivered a repertoire of Viennese tunes and Christmas hymns with extraordinary grace and skill. From a prayerful Ave Maria to a crowd-pleasing Feliz Navidad , the performance came as an early Christmas gift of truly wonderful music. Credit goes to Executive Director Thor Steingraber and his team for bringing the choir and other world-class artists to the Valley cultural scene.

The show was outstanding. I have wanted to see them for many years, and I was not disappointed. Even my grandchildren (including teenagers) really enjoyed it all.

They were Awesome! Everything we expected and MORE! A fabulous show for any age and anyone that enjoys music!! Perfection!

This is not your father's choir! Talent, range, versatility, precision...are but only a few of the ways to describe this choir and their performance. It was just simply a joy to behold and listen! The entire troop apparently consists of 100 members and their choir conductors. Four groups are currently touring, so we had 25 members in this show. Even when they did solos....their voices filled the chapel...imagine what 25 perfectly synchronized / harmonized voices sound like! In this two-part show, they performed many traditional Austrian pieces....and even some American, Indian, and even a Pakistani piece! They've apparently branched out with members playing instruments. There was even an audience participation piece where *we* sang...and they listened! This is one show not to be missed...you will not be disappointed!

What can one reasonably expect from a musical evening with 10-14 year olds? Answer: Not much great music but interesting. What should one reasonably expect from a musical evening with the Vienna Boys Choir? Answer: A lot of great music superbly performed. Sad to say, that wasn't this listener's experience. To put a fine point on it, in general, the group of 25 sounded tired and ragged, and annoyingly uneven in tone, ranging from the sweet and modulated to the harsh and brassy, especially in the form of one (too often featured) soloist in the soprano section; this is a choir, not a talent show. In that regard, the disparity of vocal talent among the choir's members in a group touted to be "One of the world's oldest and most famous," was especially disappointing. As for the music, on paper the program looked promising in its diversity, but only a few of the classical and Austrian folksongs delivered the anticipated cultural connections which this listener entered the hall expecting to hear in abundance. The director of this group of admittedly talented kids needs to listen a lot more to how his boys are delivering on their 500 years of history, and get someone else to perform the accompaniment. On a (more) positive note, it was reassuring to know that a significant portion of the high-ticket price was going to support some important international humanitarian efforts.

singing like you've never heard, by young boys who display an enormous amount of talent, dedication, and proficiency.

Because it was a show just before Christmas I had expected more uplifting Christmas music. Also, although their projection was good, there were times that I could not hear the soloist well. Amplification should be used but, perhaps, the venue could not support it.

I didn't know there were 4 touring companies - so there were only 24 boys. But their beautiful voices easily filled the venue! They sang as a group, did solos, duets, accompanied each other on the piano at times, and one played the trombone. There were also sight gags with good comedic timing. Choirmaster (in black tails) was excellent. Reperatiore was rich and deep, in several languages. It was both exactly what you expected, and everything you hoped it would be. Thank you, you very talented children. What a wonderful way to begin the Christmas week!

- the first thing I want to say is that I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth - a (relatively) small theater were we can get international talent locally without having to head out to NYC. However, the theater's acoustics were not well equipped for the boys' vocals. The hand drum nearly overshadowed the voices in the first number. I did find, however, when the individual boys stepped up closer to the edge of the stage, their voices were ever so much clearer and stronger. The stage area seemed to suck up the vocals like a parched sponge. - The boys were impressive and even more so when they got to the more difficult pieces. - They did not fair anywhere near as well when they did the more popular tunes. The final encore: "We Are the World" was a crowd pleaser but did nothing to showcase the voices. Again... okay, so you have to work the audience. Overall, I would have been happier had they gone more technical than popular but it was a marvelous evening and truly magnificent entertainment.

My family and I drove from Allentown, PA to see the choir perform. It was worth it. I expected a bigger choir, but this small group delivered quite a concert. Bravo!

While the event was a nice evening out for the holidays, both my wife and I felt that the lack of stage microphones resulted in a performance that was, at times, difficult to hear.

They are simply amazing. There voices are perfect and what a vocal range! They sang for about two hours with about a 30 minute break. Mostly accapella with piano accompianment.. Tunes from all around the world including Christmas music. They sang in 4 different languages also. A must see!

Amazing performance. Bravo to all the young men in the choir.

It was difficult to get to Englewood from Doylestown, PA, but we made it and it was very much worth it. thoe boys are really amazing - beautiful voices and very great songs. Liked the conductor also in his tails - and we are from Denmark and always wanted our boy to bow like the boys did, but he never did :-) worth the long drive. Birte and Henning

The Vienna Boys Choir was just amazing!!! I have always wanted to see this show. I received it as a birthday present....it was the BEST! The voices were so extreme, that it made it so grateful to one's heart. The voices were heavenly, and so were the added talents of these young men. THEY WERE THE BEST!!! The Choirmaster, Manolo Cagnin was the most perfect person to lead the young men showing them how to give of their voices. You could SEE the music flow from their bodies to our hearts. If anyone has the chance to see The Vienna Boys Choir, please go, you will not be disappointed. The choirmaster could not have found a more suitable "job" in life to make himself feel so great. What a wonderful evening of music!!! I WAS THRILLED!

You can't help but love this concert. The twenty-five 10-14 year-old boys are cute and sing like angels, and their choirmaster has lots of charisma and musical talent. Their repertoire ranges from William Byrd to Mozart to Faure to Verdi to Johann Strauss waltzes, to folk songs from around the world. There were a few surprises, as the choir sang "The Rhythm of Life" and "We are the World" as two of their three encores. Delightful! I recommend this to every choral music lover.

What can one say about little boys with angelic voices. Impish smiles, sidelong glances at each other and the most amazing talent all in one place, on one stage. The Vienna Boys Choir is a must see for any lover of fine voice. The group remains professional in their overall performance. The fact that they are young boys, only embellishes the performance. There were moments of pure childhood, demonstrated for all to see. The audience becomes enraptured by the music and envious of the youth and fun.

Wow. Awesome. They're amazing. The choirmaster was having as much fun as we were. The boys were a team and also amazing individual performers. Incredible talent, including singing (of course) and musical instruments.

After my husband and I attend the Vienna Boy's Choir's Sunday evening performance, we left the auditorium in Raleigh with a clear understanding of why the Vienna Boy's Choir is globally respected. We were enthralled as we watched and listened to these young men. Their poise, pitch and professional presence spoke volumes about their dedication to their craft. The Choirmaster, who seems not much older then the young men who were singing, was charming and engaging and he and the boys seem to both like and respect one another. The already perfect for a Sunday afternoon program, was filled with touches which showcased a variety musical ( and some dancing) talent from the young men and was made even more fitting for the day by a soulful version of Amazing Grace. We loved it that, as accomplished as the Choirmaster obviously is on piano and violin, he never overshadowed the young men and we enjoyed the fact that the young men also accompanied on piano and the trombone. It was an afternoon of songs which created great harmony within the internal chords of all who were blessed enough to attend.

Ive waited several years to see these boys perform only to be extremely let down. Their performance was at best lack luster, the boys looked tired, bored and were constantly moving around playing with their shirts etc. There seemed to be no structure or discipline. The famed "sound" wasn't there, some times they were off key, i sat 3 rows back from the stage, complete center and could barely hear them at times. This was a complete waste of time and money. It seemed as if they were not having any fun or didnt enjoy what they were doing, it was almost mechanical, a "here we are, lets do this and get this over with" type attitude. If the Vienna Boys Choir are in fact better than what i have seen live, then perhaps they need to rethink what they do when on tour, because what i saw will only continue to hurt their reputation.

Really enjoyed the Vienna Boys Choir! Will definately do it again!

There were great moments with the choir--mainly when they performed classical music a cappella. Many of the boys got visibly tired during the performance and a few had issues with coughing (flu recovery or symptoms?). The conductor was first rate--energetic, passionate. Overall I was a little disappointed...I think since there were only 25 boys, they may have needed some additional microphones. The piano sometimes overshadowed them.

What amazing sound from 15 such cute little boys. The choir director seemed to be having such fun with the boys and with the performance. The director is also a great pianist. We thoroughly enjoyed the performance.

To see this group in person has been one of the highlights of my life! They are so musically disciplined, and full of life, and their voices are simply beautiful. The director was vibrant and one of the most energetic I've ever seen. He obviously has tremendous rapport with the boys, and they obviously respect and like him. I taught music for 28 years, and the quality of performance, and the difficulty of the music they sang (particularly in the first part) is almost hard to imagine from children this young. I hope to get a chance to see another Vienna Boys Choir touring group before I die--it gives me hope for the future!

a bit hectic....didn't get seated till almost 7 minutes before show start time (2:00 p.m.) due to choir practicing. then...they closed upper balcony so those of us with upper balcony seats had no idea where to sit. many of us had to move as others came along and we ended up being in their seats. show started 20 minutes late. way too much confusion...i eventually ended up leaving early.

This group was amazing. Imagine going over an ocean to a land where you may not speak the language as a youngster and singing in a huge auditorium! They did wonderfully. And the conducter - he was in a class by himself! He really helped to make the performance.

The Choir is an extremely talented group of boys who not only sing well, but who also play the piano and even the trombone excellently. The choirmaster did a great job of leading the boys and he plays the piano and also the violin with great energy during the performance. The highlight to me was when the boys sang "We Are the World" at the end of their performance. I would recommend seeing the Vienna Choir Boys to everyone. They are great!

Absolutely amazing choir! These boys can sing! The conductor was wonderful too! Beautiful music, wonderful performance. Funny and serious.

The choir did their best under the circumstances. The acustics were terrible, and the volume was very inadquate to the back of the auditorium. If microphones had been hung above their heads, we would have appreciated the concert so much more. The piano overpowered the voices of the boys. The amount of people attending this event shows that there is support for such events in this area; however, due to the inability to hear the performers left many of the customers disgusted about returning for future events.

Wonderful performance. Only downside was lack of microphone for soloist. Young voices didn't have the projection needed in a concert hall. We were sitting in the orchestra seating and could barely hear them. Wonder if people in the far reaches could hear them. Otherwise this was an outstanding event, well worth the money.

The Vienna Boys Choir was a lovely evening. Voices angelic,. Boys looked like boys anywhere, shifting & restless & nudging each other. Much preferred classical music to their renditions of modern works. Yes, we go again!

They were delightful. They could do it all, from classical to pop, from vocal to instrumental. A real treat.

The performance by the Vienna Boys Choir at Atlanta Symphony Hall was disappointing on several levels. First, due to the limited size of the 22 person choir, the vocals were swallowed up in the large hall in which they performed. We had no idea that when we bought the $69 tickets that the 100 boy choir had been split into four touring choirs. Thus, the mass/size of the choir was inadequate. My first thought is that they are more concerned about making money than quality of their performance by splitting the choir. Secondly, while some of the boys had good voices, several seemed very timid and at times did not even sing. It came across like a child who had been forced by his parents to be in a children's church choir against their will. Lastly, I took my 79 year old mother to the concert as she had always wanted to see the VBC. She is an accomplished musician and vocalist having studied and majored in music theory and voice. It was very disappointing to know that she did not enjoy the concert and felt it was a huge let down.

What a wonderful show! We left feeling uplifted and smiling at the memory of the boys singing choir classics and more contemporary music (include some gospel and pop songs). Go!

The music was very good, good choice of song titles, loved the encore.

Very enjoyable show. The singing was fantastic and the choir master played the piano wonderfully. The staging and lighting was lacking.

enjoyed it very much, had a very good variety, these boys are amazing

I missed the Choir Boys when we were in Vienna in the 70's and was happy to get to see them here; however I expected a larger group. For 24 boys they did a fantastic job and the conductor/pianist was great.

The young men were excellent! The purest sound you can hear and the pleasing joy they bring to the heart.

The intelligence, discipline and artistry of these young boys is truly amazing.

Could not hear the voices from the second level. Poor acoustics.

The repertoire was delightful, the voices were so pure, and the show was very entertaining!

I was very disappointed that it was only 22 members of the choir. This was my first time seeing them and I wanted the full experience. I do not remember any mention in the material before I bought my tickets that it was only a small part of the choir. I bought the cheap seats and because the theater was so empty I was moved down to a much more expensive seat. That was good. The boys were wonderful and I cannot imagine what the full choir would sound like. They should be very proud of themselves.

Have always like the boy's choir sound and was delighted to finally see them in person. They did a beautiful job and it was a wonderful evening. What will probably stand out however as most memorable was a couple of boys in the front row, elbowing each other for position during their singing.....pretty much throughout the evening! I'd recommend the concert to anyone! It's amazing all the music they know from memory and there were definitely some very talented young men!

The Vienna Boys' Choir is amazing! They are impeccable singers, and they are a good blend of serious quality and fun! They sing more "traditional" songs (church music, classical music, etc), and also in this concert they did a few Billy Joel songs and had a surprise at the end! It's fun to see such young kids (in such an awkward stage of their lives) doing something really incredible. A great opportunity that I would highly recommend.

It was a wonderful show performed by the Haydnchor group of the Vienna Boy's Choir. The group was a bit smaller than I expected (22 boys), no symphony, just their choirmaster conducting and playing the piano as accompaniment. However, they sang a wonder collection of Medieval Imperial Church music, Baroque, Contemporary and also a collection of Vienna's folk music. I would see them again if they ever visit San Diego in the future.

We saw the Vienna Boys' Choir at Mass on Christmas Day in Vienna last year. They were amazing! It was great to see them again right here in San Diego. Even our eight-year-year old daughter loved it! The Billy Joel songs were quite a treat in addition to all of the other Vienna-themed composers past and present.

The kids were amazing, especially considering they really are just young kids. Clear, beautiful, blended tones. I liked the fact that they had some soloists, kids as muscians, and featured singers. They added a needed variety to the performance. I kept wishing I could hear them inside of a cathedral rather than in Flint Center--not a complaint--just thinking about how great the sound would be in a cathedral. I'll look forward to that on a trip to Europe. In the meantime, I felt very fortunate to experience the accomplishments of these young boys and men.

I took my dad to see this group live because he has always bought the DVD's. The group is extremely talented! There were even moments of humor on stage! My dad had the time of his life. I would definitely recommend this event.

so-so performance. been waiting to watch them for years and when i finally did, disappointed. noisy audience.

The boys' voices were so incredibly beautiful and pure, we were in awe! It is amazing that such young boys sing so wonderfully and are so disciplined. I would definitely pay to see them again. The cost was at least half of most of the musicals that come to town and the show was every bit as enjoyable.

Very nice, San Antonio is lucky to have this concert, I wish more people take advantage of these. Thanks

Vienna Boys Choir continues to amaze me. Their rich history and awesome voices adds to another cultural treat.

The boys were excellent! If you have the chance, you should go see them!

The Vienna Boys Choir was fabulous. Their voices were so clear and pure. It was a joy to hear them in person. It was truly a magical night. I would recommend that everyone who enjoys hearing young boys sing, go hear them at every opportunity.

The event was of supreme technical quality. For over 40 years I had wished to go see this performance but I came out absolutely disappointed from the event. I was about to leave at the intermission but decided to stay. I thought it could somehow improve but that is not what happened. It was absolutely disappointing because the children entered the stage with such a disheveled appearance messy hair, wrinkled clothes, they were sleepy and yawning. Nevertheless, the technical quality of the performances was exceptional, none of the children sang from the heart; there was no soul there, they re small machines perfectly tuned and perfectly TRAINED to emit pleasant sounds to the human ear. It is a shame. I do not recommend you waste your money in seeing these small singing robots .

As a Public School Choir Director myself, this was wonderful! No wonder these boys have been the best for many many years! I saw them 20 years ago as a high school students and this was far better! Thank you for coming to Texas!

Since 1498 the Vienna Boys Choir has been performing and this performance was very enjoyable. The 25 members of this choir, the Schubert choir (the full Vienna Boys Choir is divided into four smaller choirs for touring), with their choirmaster Andy Icochea Icochea performed for approx. 1 hour and 45 minutes. They sang a long list of international songs along with some American and European Christmas carols. The mix of nationalities of the choir is incredible including Austrians, Germans, Slovaks along with a member from Hungary, Bosnia, Russia, Japan and Philippines! The Choirmaster, Andy Icochea Icochea is from Peru adding more to the international makeup of the choir. His piano performance was superb and his presentations to the sold out audience was a great mix of information and humor. The only complaint was the volume. I understand that the choir does not use amplification but at times the volume was too low especially during solo performances in this sizable venue with a sold out audience. A very enjoyable evening of international music by an international choir.

Very good, especially for my father-in-law from Vienna. The slight downside was that it was on 25% of the choir (100 boys in the total choir, and only 25 at the event). The venue was nice, easy to get to, easy parking. I also thought their uniforms were a little too casual (khakis and white shirts).

While the choir itself gave an excellent performance, I was disappointed in the size of the ensemble and the lack of set preparation. There were decorative Christmas trees, but very little Christmas music. I appreciate the cultural exchange, but most of the music was folk music & very little in English, thus the obviously expensive program which I had difficulty reading with the house lights dimmed.

The boys have fantastic voices and they showed their diverse training. Just beautiful young men with voices that bring tears to your eyes.

The Vienna Boys Choir definitely brought a "Smile" to everyone's face, especially in the latter half of the performance. Great variety in program. Only disappointment was I thought the group was going to be larger.

Bought tickets for my mom as a birthday gift. She loved the performance! Had a terrific night out of music!

It was a very nice concert though I had no clue what they were singing for 95% of it in german, lol. It is very beautiful to listen too. We had seats towards the middle which were perfect.

Very disappointed in the setting The Bergen Art Center could have made the stage a more fitting scene for the choir. The young boys did an amazing performance but the setting was a great disappointment. We were let down but not by the choir. I personally would have preferred some additional Christmas songs. Ava Maria was beautiful.

The concert was enjoyable but a little disappointing at the same time. I have been to several choir concerts and expected a lot from the Vienna Boys Choir due to its reputation. I was underwhelmed. They were good, but not great. They director was enthusiastic, but the choir itself seemed to be a little bored with the whole thing. Their voices were good, but not much better than a good high school chorus.

I have waited for years to see the Vienna Boys Choir perform in person. They did not disappoint! They were well trained vocally and demonstrated incredible poise for such a young age. My partner and I were impressed. We also enjoyed the repertoire which included songs we were not familiar with.

A very nice date night with my wife. She had never heard this type of music before and was impressed at the talent of these young men. I had always wanted to hear them and was not disappointed.

The concert venue is great, the concert was great the biggest problem is the venue's services. It was a cold night and they only food was available in the court yard some 100 yards from the door. Food options limited since they had the terrace closed because of the weather. The options inside consist of cookies and some high priced drinks. I know its California, but it does get cold and they should have a plan to accommodate for the weather. What would they do if it rained? Really poor for an event at almost $100 a seat and in such a great venue. Need to rethink that CSUN

It is such a wonderful experience to attend the Vienna Boys Choir concert. The boys gave an excellent performance and the music was so beautiful. In particular, at the end of the performance, the audience was invited to sing the chorus of a Christmas song with the boys creating an unforgettable memory.

Having heard one of the 4 units actually perform in Vienna, we were thrilled with this opportunity. While some of the pieces in Latin, were not particularly memorable, they were well done. The best pieces by far were The First Nowell and Oh Holy Night. Spectacular! The Korean choirmaster obviously enjoyed her assignment, and the encore/finale was particularly touching since, after 3 years with the boys, she was moving on.

Wonderful evening of Christmas songs. Vienna Boys Choir was excellent, truly enjoyed the evening.

In a word disappointed. Lads' voices were enjoyable but the production came across as mediocre and lacked polish.

The boys' singing sounds like a choir of angels and the selections were a nice blend of French, German and Old English Christmas songs. It would have been a better experience if the staff of the Woodruff Arts Theatre had asked people to turn off their cellphones and not talk during the performance. One old lady crinkled her plastic wrappers THROUGHOUT THE PERFORMANCE. Also nearby was a chatterbox girl and a guy with a crutch who talked during songs. When asked to hush, her reply was "Chill out!" After the performance she caused a scene by loudly proclaiming that she only talked between songs and didn't like people glaring at her.

At first I was disappointed because I have attended several concerts by boys choirs and this very famous choir was so small, only 23 boys, with a only a piano, none of the orchestra played. But they were very strong singers providing the sound of a much larger choir with much talent, probably half of them were soloists. The music was just beautiful.

The Vienna Boys Choir gave a wonderful performance. The group was small but their beautiful voices filled the Hall with perfection. The large Choral risers behind the Boys Choir made a disproportionate setting. Their harmonious voices presented exhilarating performances of classical and contemporary holiday music. Direction was minimal but their director/accompanist led them masterfully and also had a beautiful voice herself. The performance was heavenly and really put us in the Christmas spirit. The only problem was that late arrivers and people jockeying around for empty more expensive seats was a major distraction. Doors opening, people crawling over patrons to get to seats in the middle and talking where to sit while the performance is going on was rude to the performers and the people in the audience.

The voices and tightness of their harmonies wasn't what I'd hoped. Bless their hearts, some of the numbers were incredibly difficult and they didn't have the chops to pull them off. Also, I thought they were missing the crystal clear high voices that are the hallmark of the Vienna Boys' Choir. They were sweet boys though!

This is not the Vienna choir of 100 plus boys you see on TV. For tours they break into 4 groups of about 25. For large halls this is not sufficient. The conductor also was the accompanist, and was more consumed with playing the complicated and often overpowering accompaniment than she was with conducting. As a result, the performance lacked dynamics and fine nuances. The choir is commonly used to set standards for young choirs around the world, but many such groups can do what we heard in this performance. The compositions on the program took the audience on a tour around the world, featuring short numbers in a variety of styles. There was not a meaty or moving number which would involve the performers in a meaningful musical experience. We would not buy tickets again.

It was a great group- one of the nivest things to witness was how well the choirmaster/pianist worked with the boys- thet clearly trusted him and his direction, and he def knew what he was about. The children's voices were so pure and tone-perfect it was ridiculous. I also enjoyed learning how many of the children were from other countries, though the vast majority were Austrian. I had taken my (German) mother to see them; they came through my town close to ten years ago, and we couldn't go for some reason. And they haven't been back since. I swire I'd take her as soon as they were anywhere in the region; even though she's German, she had never heard them before. It was wonderful to hear so many classic German songs that we still have on vinyl and that my mom will just burst out with. Definitely recommend.

There were moments when the choir was sublime. And the Minneapolis Basilica was the perfect setting. Also really enjoyed the music from around the world. But the performance was somewhat uneven. A beautifully done song would be followed by one where the choir clapping would drown out the singing or the different voices would get out of sync. Still would recommend it.

The setting was beautiful but, unfortunately, the sound didn't carry well towards the middle to back of the sanctuary. It would have been nice if the director would have introduced each piece. The voices were obviously great and I was so impressed with their ability at such young ages. The director's piano playing was amazing.

The choir was charming and as good as their reputation. It was hard to hear them sometimes because the piano was too loud, so we much preferred the acappella pieces. While the Basilica is a fabulous venue, it was difficult to hear the soloists. Too much echo.

We were disappointed with the venue for the Vienna Boys' Choir concert. It was certainly not a good value for the cost of each ticket. The Choir has a membership of around 100 boys, but only 21 boys toured for this concert. Although the choir sang well, the venue had poor acoustics to represent the beauty and harmony of the voices that were present. Our seat selection was favorable, but it was still difficult to hear the lyrics that were sung. Since the Choir is world renown,we expected a more exciting performance,but lack of variation throughout, contributed to a lackluster performance that was not worth the money we paid.

The recent evening with the Vienna Boys Choir was delightful. Their youthful voices are unforgettable. It was an uplifting and joyful concert.

I expected a great show, and they went above and beyond that. Having been in a boychoir when I was young, I looked at the choir with an extra critical eye. While they were not perfect (no one is), the performance was phenomenal. I particularly liked their choices for classical and they were sung very well. I was also very impressed by the variety of cultural songs used. Learning to sing in any foreign language is challenging but the degree of ability they displayed was excellent.

Acoustics were not as good as I'd hoped, the piano accompaniment was at times overpowering, and the director seemed too eager to show off his own skills. Clearly the boys are lovely singers. Just wish I could have heard THEM more.

The acoustics was horrible and the program was pale.

They were a delight to listen to. Really cool to see that kind of talent, and some of the chords they hit together were really touching.

Expected crisp, focused performance from this renowned organization. Kid's stage presence was unprofessional and singing was only adequate.

Utterly captivating music by talented boys. Only negative was overly intrusive behavior of conductor who was neither as interesting or amusing as intended. Otherwise would have given 5 stars.