Phoenix Boys Choir | History
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HISTORY

Founded in 1947, the Phoenix Boys Choir has programs featuring training in voice, music theory, and performance for boys age 7 to 18. The Phoenix Boys Choir, through educating boys in the art of singing and performing the finest music in the boy choir tradition, develops character, discipline, leadership, global awareness, and a strong commitment to excellence, thereby contributing to the greater Phoenix musical life and enhancing Arizona's cultural reputation nationally and internationally. The Phoenix Boys Choir guarantees every member a world-class music education and one of the most significant experiences of his life. Currently, there are approximately 125 young boys and men participating.

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Each year, the Phoenix Boys Choir offers a full season of concert performances offering a wide repertoire from classical to popular selections. They record CDs, participate in music festivals, sing with other professional groups and even host touring choirs. Members of the Phoenix Boys Choir have performed for four United States Presidents and with name entertainers such as Doc Severinsen, Stevie Wonder, and Keith Lockhart conducting the Boston Pops Orchestra.  

 

Artistic Director Herbert Washington is a Phoenix Boys Choir alumnus and previously served as the choir's Town Director.  His varied and deep experiences in the choral arts provides the Phoenix Boys Choir the opportunity to embed the best of the choir's past, while advancing and innovating our program so we remain relevant and impactful for today's boys and their families. 

 

Beginning with the Training Choir, boys can progress to Cadet, Town and Tour choirs, and upon graduation, participate in the Master’s Choir. When the boys reach the performance levels of Town and Tour Choir, they have the opportunity to travel nationally and internationally.

 

The Choir has performed with the Phoenix Symphony, Arizona Opera, Phoenix Chorale, Orpheus Chorus, collaborated with St. Mary’s Food Bank, The Salvation Army, the Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Rosie’s House Music Academy for Children, Phoenix Youth Symphony and the Desert Botanical Garden; performed at special events such as Joe Foss Institute’s Stars In Service, Celebrity Fight Night, Alice Cooper’s Christmas Pudding and, the Phoenix Zoo’s RendeZoo. During this past year, the Phoenix Boys Choir was invited to perform at the inauguration of  the Mayor of Phoenix and the Phoenix City Council. The Choir has performed the National Anthem for the Phoenix Suns, Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Coyotes, Arizona Rattlers and the Arizona Cardinals.


The Tour Choir has performed across the country and around the world including England, Ireland, France, Japan, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, the Republic of the Philippines, China, Eastern Europe and the Balkan States and to Austria where they sang side-by-side with the Vienna Choir Boys in the famous Court Chapel. They recently completed a three-week tour during the summer of 2019 to Europe, which included stops and/or performances in England, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Poland, Austria and the Czech Republic. In 2023, our Tour Choir toured in Scotland and Ireland.

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Where Do our Boys Come From?

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  • Throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area – as far away as Apache Junction, Surprise, Anthem, San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Sedona.

  • Approximately 25% receive financial aid to fund their annual tuition assessment and tour expenses

  • 33% are from diverse ethnic groups

  • Diverse socio-economic backgrounds

  • Public, charter, parochial, private and home school students

  • Varied family backgrounds

  • Wide range of musical ability

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Phoenix Boys Choir – By the Numbers

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  • Our audiences reach over 92,000 adults annually

  • Nearly 8,400 youth attend our performances each year

  • 115 boys in four choir levels perform throughout the season, plus an additional 25 alumni belong to our Masters Choir

  • Five (5) free concerts are presented annually at Steele Indian School Park Memorial Hall in Phoenix at which we welcome Veterans from the Phoenix VA Healthcare System, as well as residents of the Arizona State Veteran’s Home.

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How the Choir Enriches Overall Education

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  • Students who study music performance score 57 points higher on the verbal and 41 points higher on the math on the SAT than non-music students.   (Source: The College Entrance Examination Board).

  • Students who report consistent, high-level involvement in music over the middle and high school years show significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by grade 12.   (Source: Champions of Change: The Impact of the Arts on Learning)

  • Music training improves scores in spatial-temporal reasoning used in higher levels of science and math. (Source: Keeping Mozart in Mind)

  • Students in high-quality school music programs score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs, regardless of the socioeconomic level of the school or school district.   (Source: Journal of Research in Music Education)

  • A correlation exists between the amount of music training and the amount of improvement in reading fluency in children.   (Source: Learning, Arts and the Brain)

  • Music activities engage both the left and right hemisphere of the brain. In fact, studying music involves more right- and left-brain functions than any other activity measured.   (Source: Good Music, Brighter Children)

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