Vienna Boys Choir to Bring 'Purity of Their Sound' to Naperville

When the famed Vienna Boys Choir takes the stage of North Central College’s Wentz Concert Hall this Sunday, it will be their inaugural visit to this highly acclaimed local venue; previously, the choir performed in Pfeiffer Hall back in 1987. The fact is, they delighted audiences then and are sure to do the same this time around.

“The response (to the performance) has been incredible,” said Brian Lynch, fine arts director for North Central College. “We will sell out completely.”

Founded in 1498, the Vienna Boys Choir has such incredible notoriety, having performed all over the world. Yet, it may not be widely known that the choir itself is comprised of 100 members, typically ranging in age from 10-14, which are separated into four different performance groups. This approach allows the groups to cover more ground in its travels, which are extensive; the groups travel all across Europe and the Americas and make their way around to virtually all of the continents. Approximately 300 concerts are given collectively by the choir each year. The group that will visit Wentz is currently on a six-week tour.

Conductor Kerem Sezen will help bring Sunday’s performance to life for the audience through a wide variety of music. Sezen said that genres will range from the spellbinding Gregorian chant and classical music to pop and contemporary with a little Austrian Folk music sprinkled in.

Lynch explained that the desire to bring the choir back to Naperville stems from the fact that this is one of the most famous choirs in the world – if not the most famous of all. And, with a capacity crowd expected to fill the college’s premier 605-seat performance venue, what draws audience members to the Vienna Boys Choir? Conductor Sezen explained, “The audience loves to hear the choir sing and the performers enjoy the positive feedback they receive from them.”

And, it sounds like those who are lucky enough to have tickets are in for a real treat. Lynch explained, “The purity of (the choir’s) sound will shine in the perfect acoustics of the Wentz Concert Hall.”