Christmas Concert by the Vienna Boys' Choir at the Basilica

The Vienna Boys’ Choir is known throughout the world as an “ambassador” for Austria and its musical culture. Their repertoire ranges from folk songs and Viennese waltzes to the most delicate art songs. Arguably the most famous boys’ choir in the world, it looks back on a long tradition: Boys have been singing in the Vienna Castle Chapel since the thirteenth century. In 1498, Maximilian I moved his court, along with the chapel, to Vienna. Musicians such as Mozart, Salieri, and Bruckner were active at the Viennese court; Joseph Haydn, Michael Haydn, and Franz Schubert sang as boys in the court orchestra. Today, there are about 100 Vienna Boys’ Choir members between the ages of 9 and 14, divided into four choirs. Together, the choirs give 300 concerts a year to nearly half a million audiences around the world