July 18th – 21st 2024 The World Peace Choral Festival 2024

July 17th – 20th 2025 The World Peace Choral Festival 2025

July 16th – 19th 2026 The World Peace Choral Festival 2026

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                                                                                                 Photo by Lukas Beck (www.lukasbeck.com)

 

Prof. Gerald Wirth


President of Artistic Committee of the World Peace Choral Festival

President and Artistic Director of Vienna Boys' Choir


Gerald Wirth received his first musical training as a member of the Vienna Boys' Choir and at the Anton Bruckner University in Linz, Austria, where he studied voice, oboe and piano. In 2001, he became artistic director of the Vienna Boys' Choir, in 2013, its president.


From 1986 to 1989, Wirth was a choirmaster of the Vienna Boys' Choir, in charge of one of the four touring choirs. Between 1989 and 1991, he turned his attention to opera as chorus master of the Salzburg opera house. In 1991, Wirth moved to Canada, where he held the posts of artistic director of the Calgary Boys' Choir, musical director of the Calgary Civic Symphony, and associate conductor of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. Gerald Wirth has conducted choirs and orchestras all over the world. He plays and sings himself in many different ensembles, and he can get practically anyone and anything to sing.


Wirth has written three children's operas, several oratorios, masses, motets, and songs, as well as countless arrangements. Wirth likes to take his inspiration from myths and philosophical texts; he believes that we are responsible for our surroundings and for the people in our lives. He is currently working on an opera about migration and integration set in a distant time. "Invasion of the Barbarians" features a number of migrating tribes, a flood, a volcanic eruption, and a meteor strike.


Wirth's first love is the human voice, and working with choirs. He is much in demand as choral clinician and conductor, and has held international workshops on choral conducting, voice training and performance. To him, music and singing in particular are a form of self-expression. He is convinced that music has a positive influence on every aspect of a person's being. "A choir consists of many individuals who have to act as a team, reaching out to the audience. A good concert can become a great performance, if every single participant can bring his own personality to the mix.".

 

 

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