The Whatley Center for the Performing Arts at Northeast Texas Community College will host the Vienna Boys Choir on Monday, Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m. One of the oldest boys choirs in the world, it was founded in 1498 and has since delighted audiences around the world with music new and old.
The modern†Vienna Boys Choir†bears little resemblance to the original group of six boys invited to sing at the Viennese court many centuries ago. Today, the Vienna Boys Choir consists of 100 boys between the ages of ten and fourteen, from dozens of nations, divided into four touring groups. Each group spends nine to eleven weeks of the school year on tour. Between them, the four choirs give 300 concerts and performances each year before almost half a million people. They visit virtually all European countries, and are frequent guests in Asia, Australia, and the Americas.
?We have hosted the Vienna Boys Choir on the Whatley stage before and it has always earned rave reviews. This is a unique opportunity to hear these phenomenally talented boys who perform all over the world,? Carolyn Franks, NTCC Director of the Whatley Center, said.
The Choir has appeared many times on screen over the years and will be featured in†Curt Faudon's new film,†Good Shepherds, which takes an unusual look at shepherd carols and shepherd music from the Holy Land to the Arctic circle. The film will receive its North American premiere in the Fall of 2017. In the realm of audio recording, the Choir has been active since the 1930s, appearing on practically every major label. In 2015, the choir signed a long-term partnership with Deutsche Grammophon. Their first joint project was a hugely successful Christmas CD,†Merry Christmas from Vienna. Their†next recording will be released in 2018.
Conductor†Manolo Cagnin†studied violin as a child, then in later work at the Conservatory of Venice and in Milan, he pursued choral conducting and composition, completing his studies under Kurt Masur and Fabio Luisi in Leipzig. In 2008, Mr. Cagnin was named conductor of one of the four touring choirs of the Vienna Boys Choir. He prepares the boys for masses with the Vienna Hofmusikkapelle, for appearances with the Vienna State Opera, for sound and video recordings, and for concerts in Vienna and on tours worldwide.
Tickets are still available for the performance. The cost is $30 for adults and $10 for students. This event is included in the season ticket package. Visit†www.whatleycenter.com†to purchase tickets or to learn about this and other performances at the Whatley Center. You may also call 903-434-8181 to reserve seats today!
