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Boy Choir Reborn in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh will soon have a new choral group.

The Pittsburgh Boy Choir will be the first multi-genre boy choir for the city since at least 1998. Artistic director Todd Alexander said the group will perform many types of music.

“Most of the choral music that has been composed is in the tradition of the church," he said. "But there are many secular pieces and many popular pieces that have been written more recently, and we will be touching on all of those genres."

This will be the second boys-exclusive choir in the city. There is also one run by the Afro-American Music Institute (AAMI), located in Homewood. That choir focuses on styles such as jazz, blues, gospel and Negro spirituals. 

The Pittsburgh Boy Choir will begin with two treble ensembles: a training choir for boys ages five through seven and a concert choir for boys ages eight through thirteen, so long as the boy’s voice hasn’t changed. 

Alexander said the choir will accommodate any boy whose voice changes during the season. He also added these boys will be given the opportunity to be in a higher-age choir.

“We want to add an ensemble in subsequent seasons of boys who have changed voices, and who have gone through our concert choir and our training program, and we hope to utilize them to a great extent in the future with a full soprano, alto, tenor, bass choir,” he said.

For now the choir is starting off small, both in size and scope. Alexander said for the first year, there will be only two performances but added there would be more in future seasons.

“We hope to add performances in the form of concert tours and add an additional summer music camp and do some traveling and more extensive performing,” he said.

Alexander said the boys will have a great education, social and cultural experience.

“I think it’ll be something that will enrich their lives on numerous levels,” he said.

The choir will hold auditions beginning Tuesday at the Northmont Presbyterian Church in McAnless Township. Their first performance won’t be until next winter.