Vienna Boys Choir and CelloGayageum performances set in the fall

The Wacchholz College Center will host two internationally renowned performing arts groups in October and November — the Vienna Boys Choir, which brings centuries of choral tradition to the stage and the innovative ensemble CelloGayageum. 

The Vienna Boys Choir will perform at 7 p.m. Oct. 18. One of the world’s oldest choirs, the Vienna Boys Choir was founded in 1498, pursuant to an Imperial decree of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, according to viennaboyschoir.org, with members having sung at Vienna's Imperial Chapel since at least 1296.  

Today, the former imperial ensemble is a nonprofit organization with a primary and grammar school serving 330 boys and girls ages six to 19, with a curriculum centered on choral music and singing. The Choir’s education, recognized by UNESCO as a cultural heritage, is open to all, regardless of origin, gender, nationality or religion. There are currently 90 active choristers divided into four touring choirs. 

CelloGayageum performs at 4 p.m. Nov. 1. Founded in 2016 by Austrian cellist Sol Daniel Kim and Korean gayageum virtuoso Dayoung Yoon CelloGayageum bridges the soulful depth of Western classical music with the mesmerizing elegance of Korean gug-ak (traditional music). The gayageum is a traditional Korean plucked zither with a resonating chamber and 12 silk or nylon strings stretched over moveable bridges.  

Yoon graduated from Korean National Traditional Arts High School and received a bachelor's and master's degree from the Korea National University of Arts. During her tenure as a gayageum instructor at the Berlin Korean Cultural Center, she crossed paths with cellist Sol Daniel Kim and co-founded the ensemble CelloGayageum. Kim graduated from the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and has been active in Europe, participating as the representative of Austria in Eurovision Young Musicians and collaborating with numerous orchestras such as the Bavarian Symphony Orchestra.  

Inspired by Berlin’s Pavilion of Unity, Yoon and Kim’s unique collaboration celebrates the beauty of connection between instruments, histories and people. With original compositions rooted in Korean folk melodies and infused with global sensibilities, CelloGayageum creates a sound that is at once ancient and refreshingly modern. 

Tickets start at $39 to see the Vienna Boys Choir and $25 for CelloGayageum, which includes service fees. Tickets may be purchased at wccmt.org or by calling 406-756-1400. 

The Wachholz College Center is located at 795 Grandview Dr., Kalispell 

    CelloGayageum takes the stage at the Wachholz College Center Nov. 1. (Courtesy photo)