The Vienna Boys’ Choir Receives Government Funding

The choir has received €800,000 in emergency aid from the Austrian State to support its operations

With a history spanning over 500 years, the Vienna Boys’ Choir comprises 100 choristers aged nine to 15, who are divided into touring choirs that perform around 300 concerts a year worldwide.

In 2017, the choir was recognized by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Austria.

Since 2020, the choir has struggled with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation on its programs. At the time, it also dealt with a possible insolvency. 

To support the choir and lift it out of financial distress, the Austrian federal government has provided the group with €800,000 in emergency funding for the coming year, reported the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The choir’s president, Erich Arthold expressed his gratitude for the swift aid from the government, stating that it is “a cushion that will see us through to the end of the season.”

“It goes without saying that we will rescue them from their financial plight,” said the Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. “We are proud of this world-famous choir, which has existed for more than 500 years and is part of the Austrian identity, and we will do everything we can to secure its future.”

Additionally, Nehammer stated that the government and the choir will be collaborating in the coming months “to find a sustainable solution that will ensure the long-term financing of the Vienna Boys Choir and the Vienna Girls Choir (founded in 2004).”