Wiener Sängerknaben, German for The Vienna Boys' Choir, is one of the most well-known choirs in the world. Dating back 1924, the Vienna Boys' Choir has a history of excellence that was challenged in 2001 when it came under heavy pressure and criticism to modernize. After the establishment of a rival choir school that was known to be more relaxed and lucrative, the Vienna Boys' Choir had to recruit boys for the first time in its long history. In an effort to modernize its approach to music, the ensemble changed its uniform, began recording pop music and even began allowing the boys to dance as they sing. The Vienna Boys' Choir is composed of about 100 trebles and altos, ranging from the ages of ten to 14, that are broken up into four separate touring choirs: Bruckner, Mozart, Shubert and Haydn. Despite allegations of sexual abuse from former choir members, each group of The Vienna Boys' Choir performs approximately 300 concerts in front of nearly half a million people each year.
