Imperial Chapel

Imperial Chapel -
Helmuth Froschauer conducts "Theresienmesse" by Joseph Haydn and takes his leave from the Chapel Imperial

Helmuth Froschauer was born in 1933. His musical career spans seven decades - he has been associated with the Vienna Boys Choir since he was eight years old. From 1943 to 1947, he was a chorister, from 1953 to 1965 he was choirmaster of one of the four touring choirs, leading the boys on 22 tours around the world.

Anyone who as a boy toured with Froschauer, Froschi to those in the know, still raves about it. And when the old gentleman with the razor-sharp memory talks about those times, his speech sounds like song.

Froschauer, whose last post was chief conductor of the WDR radio symphony in Cologne, has also held the post of choir director at the Vienna State Opera, and at the Bregenz and Salzburg Festivals. He has closely worked with Herbert von Karajan and Walt Disney, for whom he oversaw the music for three films.

To mark his final appearance as official conductor of the Chapel Imperial, Froschauer has chosen Haydn's Theresia Mass.

> Memories of Helmuth Froschauer in the Vienna Boys Choir archives
> Stories: Interview with Helmuth Froschauer (WDR, in German)