The Paris Boys Choir, – also known in France as La Maîtrise des Petits Chanteurs de Sainte-Croix de Neuilly – often considered by major critics as one of France’s most significant and active boys choirs, is currently headed by Conductor & Music Director Francois Polgár. Founded in 1956 at the Sainte-Croix Junior High School in Paris, this group has become a true phenomenon. Frequently appearing at world-class festivals, the Paris Boys Choir tours around the world each summer.
The Paris Boys Choir provides music services to Notre-Dame de Sainte-Croix’s religious ceremonies and official functions, often participates in major music festivals and regularly performs major works with orchestra, such as Mozart’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah or Haydn’s Creation. It also performs a cappella a repertoire of pieces, both sacred and profane. The Choir’s presence in numerous major European and international festivals (Oxford & Bath in Great Britain, Wengen in Switzerland, Avigon & Aix-en-Provence in France, Valencia in Spain, Woodstock Mozart Festival in the U.S., Châteauguay in Canada, etc.) presently makes it one of France’s most outstanding and active choral ensembles. The Paris Boys Choir seeks to emphasize the distinctiveness of its elite roster exclusively composed of young male choristers and which confers on the ensemble an exceptional vocal color, unique within the French musical landscape.
During Pope Benedict XVI’s 2008 France tour, The Paris Boys Choir had a central role at the Pope’s public, outdoor mass on the Esplanade des Invalides in Paris, and François Polgàr was chosen to conduct the 2,500 chorister-strong combined choir gathered for the event. The Choir was also chosen to record the French version of the anthem for World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid. In November 2011, the Choir gave a concert with the Principal Organist of the Windsor Royal Chapel.
Every summer, The Paris Boys Choir goes on tour. It has traveled throughout France, and performed in Great Britain, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Canada, the U.S., throughout Eastern Europe, Russia, etc. For the 2013 Summer Season, the Choir was on tour in South Korea, for its first official appearance in Asia, then was on tour in China in July 2016.
The Choir’s discography is edited by Sony Classical France and exhibits a concern for the spiritual elevation of listeners as well as that of the choristers themselves. Among other works, they have recorded Fauré’s Requiem in its original 1893 version, a repertoire of motets dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, a cappella motets and French Christmas carols.
Conductor & Music Director Francois Polgár
The French choral conductor, organist, composer and musicologist, former Director of the Paris National Opera Chorus (Chœur de l’Opéra National de Paris) and of the French National Radio Choruses (Chœurs et Maîtrise de Radio-France), and “Victoire de la Musique” (France’s equivalent of the Grammy Awards) recipient.At the head of this internationally renowned choir, he was able to work in collaboration with the most prestigious conductors (James Conlon, Seiji Ozawa, Georges Prêtre...), and perform most of the major choral works in the lyrical and symphonic repertoire from the 18th to the present day.
PROGRAMME
Douce France - Charles Trenet & Léo Chauliac
Pueri Concinite - Johann Von Herbeck
The Sound of Music : Do Re Mi - Richard Rodgers
Vois sur ton chemin - Bruno Coulais
Song and Smile
La Nuit – Jean Philippe Rameau
L’Arlésienne – Georges Bizet
Les Champs-Élysées - Michael Wilshaw (Joe Dassin)
Va Pensiero (Nabucco) - Giuseppe Verdi
----Intermission----
Les Anges dans nos Campagnes
Lacrymosa - Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
Let Us Sway Twin Oars
Immortal BACH
New York, New York - John KANDER & Fred EBB (F.SINATRA)
* Program is subject to change
