Boys will be Boys: Phoenix Boys Choir

A boy’s life can be mysterious, mischievous and mercurial. One minute boys can be engaged in an all-out tussle and the next, have their arms draped around each other’s shoulders in the time-honored gesture of true friendship. It takes a lot of patience, direction and even discipline to wrangle boys. Think of team sports and how the culture of coaching affects outcome. There is a hierarchy to navigating boys through the journey of youth. It’s not always understood and to many, the odyssey of growing boys is just about as daunting as Homer’s epic Iliad.
“Naw, it’s not that challenging,” chuckles Oleg Shvets, the Executive Director of the Phoenix Boys Choir. “We have an amazing program that steers boys through the adventure of growing up.” With nearly 70 years of performing, training and touring, the Phoenix Boys Choir has emerged as one of Arizona’s cultural wonders.
The organization is an award-winning chorus comprised of boys from 7 to 14 years old. “We take kids just in the early years of elementary school and follow them through their teens. It is exciting and demanding,” admits Shvets.
“It starts with basic training,” Shvets explains. “We teach them how to be responsible and to respect the process of music education. There is a lot of attention paid to how to behave in the studio, how to work in a group and even listen to their instructor. At the end of the day, these are kids who love sports, video games, being outdoors and everything else typical boys like.”
Contrary to what most Phoenicians might think, the Phoenix Boys Choir is not filled with voices that are perfect from the start. “We cultivate talent and confidence,” explains Shvets. “Of course our boys come to us through an extensive audition process, but the majority need training and coaching. This takes time and is a process that challenges them to perform at the highest level.” Before boys ever navigate towards the large scale performances that the Phoenix Boys Choir is known for, they are most likely to only perform in recitals or small gatherings.
The Training Choir is the starting point and is reserved for 7 to 9 year olds who have little or no experience with music. Boys rehearse twice a week where they are taught diction, vocals, unison and the basics of working as a team. “These kids have to learn how to show up, take direction, focus for a specific period of time and honor the environment of a music studio.”
The Cadet Choir is the next level of talent which is generally reserved for boys who come to the organization with a bit of music training or having graduated from the Training Choir. Meeting twice a week for several hours, this group learns advanced part singing, choreography and how to sing in foreign languages. They are introduced to more performances and public events. These boys are typically 9 to 11 years old.
From there, the Town Choir is the next level of achievement. Most of the boys are older, ages 10 to 13. They focus on advanced singing techniques, performance skills and more complex scores. These boys are also introduced to even more public performances with some opportunities to tour. “At this level,” Shvets explains, “these boys need to be more mature and able to handle the pressures of even more rehearsal time.”
The goal for most of the boys and their families is the Grammy-winning Tour Choir, directed by the world-renowned Georg Stangelberger. The Artistic Director joined Phoenix Boys Choir in 1999 from the legendary Vienna Boys Choir. His vision and connections to the art form has led the organization to greater international exposure including performances at Carnegie Hall, major concert halls throughout Europe, Canada, Japan and even St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
“At the Tour Choir level, these boys are generally 10 to 14 and can perform with a full orchestra with full on staging,” explains Shvets. “We see how these kids have grown in so many ways from the first choir. They have developed composure, confidence and ultimately leadership. They can look you in the eye and actually converse.”
The Tour Choir spends two to three weeks each summer traveling and performing in either North American or Europe. The travel is demanding, high profile and requires a huge degree of management on the part of the organization, as well as the parents of each boy.
They will also appear with other Arizona cultural groups such as The Phoenix Symphony and Arizona Opera. They often perform ceremonial duties and sing the National Anthem at public events. “The Tour Choir is involved with about 14 concerts a year,” adds Shvets. “This is a major commitment for the parents as well, since they have to drive the boys to events at the same time they keep up with a demanding rehearsal schedule.”
As the boys grow, mature and their voices change, they have the opportunity to join the Masters Choir which Stangelberger also directs. This choir has men of all ages, most of whom have moved through their lives and education with a love of music. “We have men who have gone on to be lawyers, accountants and everything in between,” says Shvets. “They share a passion of choir and without this outlet, they would probably not have the ability to continue with their music.”
Over the span of seven decades Phoenix Boys Choir has become not only an Arizona treasure but a known talent globally. “Our next challenge and vision for the future is to expand our reach,” explains Shvets. “We have just added a choir in the Balsz School District and we will soon be working with other neighborhoods in Peoria, Mesa and Chandler in order to expand services there.”
These alliances will expand the Phoenix Boys Choir membership and broaden its reach. “We want to include more boys and their families in our program.”
Contrary to what many believe about participating in such a world-class program the fees are achievable. There are scholarships and year-round fundraising to support the extensive costs associated with operating the entire organization. The Phoenix Boys Choir does not want to exclude talent for financial reasons.
“At the end of the day,” Oleg Shvets reflects, “we are developing character, discipline and leadership through the power of music.” Not bad for a bunch of kids who are also playing baseball, dominating the latest version of their favorite video game and keeping their school grades in check.
Of course there is the invariable rough-housing that goes on in a boy’s world. That’s the way it is, with a little bit of music added to the soundtrack of their life.
Phoenix Boys Choir