Performance History and Venues

Joseph P. Fitzmartin, Music Director
Steven M. Fisher, Associate Music Director

KSB was founded in 2001 and currently consists of 150 members between the ages of 8 and 18 from diverse backgrounds.

Performance History 2001 – 2009
(Word document to print; pdf to print)
(updated January 9, 2009)

January 9, 2009 Shabat Service at Keneseth Israel
January 4, 2009 “Amahl and the Night Visitors” Opera, with Germantown Oratory Choir
December 28, 2008 KSB Alumni Service and Pancake Breakfast
December 21, 2008 Glad Tidings Tour, Center City Philadelphia
December 21, 2008 KSB and PG Annual Holiday Concert on the Square
December 14, 2008 KSB Annual Holiday Concerts
December 6, 2008 Franklin Institute
December 7, Oratory of St. Francis Concert Series
November 16, 2008 Andrew Watts in Concert,with a special appearance by KSB
October 25, 2008 “Govberg Watch Fair” Boyd’s, Philadelphia
September 28, 2008 “German American Day Celebration and Homecoming” FPCG, Philadelphia
September 14, 2008 Brigantine, New Jersey, “KSB at the Shore”
June 18, 2008 Brown Bag Concert Series, Church of the Holy Trinity, Philadelphia
June 16, 2008 West Philadelphia Children’s Choir, James Rhoades School
June 15, 2008 Our Town, Arden Theatre, Philadelphia
June 8, 2008 Commonwealth Youthchoirs Gala Concert, Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
June 1, 2008 Graduate Choir Concert, Germantown Friends Meeting House, Philadelphia
May 21, 2008 “We are the Boys” Festival, First Presbyterian Church in Germantown
May 18, 2008 KSB Spring Concerts, First Presbyterian Church in Germantown, Philadelphia
May 3, 2008, Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia
April 27, 2008 Brittany Pointe Estate, Lansdale, Pennsylvania
April 16, 2008 Rydal Park Senior Home
April 11, 2008 Keneseth Israel, Evening Service
March 27, 2008 Harvard Glee Club, Church of the Holy Trinity
March 9, 2008 Faurė Requiem, First Presbyterian Church in Germantown
March 2, 2008 KSB Treble Concert with Pennsylvania Girlchoir, Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill
February 11, 2008 , National Anthem at the 76er’s Game
January 6, 2008, Service and Mini-Concert, St. Bridget, Philadelphia
Wachovia Holiday Party, Philadelphia December 2007
2nd Annual Holiday Concert on the Square with Pennsylvania Girlchoir, Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, December 2007
Annual KSB Holiday Concerts, December 2007
The Oratory of St. Francis Christmas Concert, December 2007
Live from the Borgata Casino and Spa, Atlantic City, November 2007 and December 2007
Britten’s St. Nicolas Cantata with Westminster Choir College, Princeton University, Oct. 2007
National Boys Choir of Australia, joint performance, FPCG, Oct. 2007
Concert Series, First Presbyterian Church in Germantown, September 2007
Philadelphia Art Museum, De La Salle University private event, September 2007
A Tribute to Mario Lanza with Ocean City Pops, Ocean City, New Jersey, September 2007
KSB Tour Choir Bon Voyage Concert, Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse
Square, Philadelphia June 2007
Annual Gala Concert with Pennsylvania Girlchoir, Kimmel Center June 2007
Strawberry Festival, Plymouth Meeting Friends School, June 2007
2nd Annual Graduate Choir Concert, Lutheran Seminary, Mt. Airy, June 2007
6th Annual Spring Concerts, First Presbyterian Church in Germantown, May 2007
Mt. Airy Day, May 2007
First Friday Concert Series at Lutheran Seminary, Mt. Airy, May 2007
Rydal Park, Brittany Pointe Estate Retirement Centers, Montgomery County, April 2007
KSB in Concert with Pennsylvania Girlchoir and West Philadelphia Children’s Choir, Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, March 2007
Voices of the Future in Concert with Singing City, First Baptist Church, Philadelphia
National Anthem at the 76’ers game, February 2007
Northwest Interfaith Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, New Covenant Church Mt. Airy
Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, Zion Baptist Church Philadelphia, Jan 2007
Wachovia Holiday Party, Philadelphia; caroling at Center City locations, December 22, 2006
Holiday Concert on the Square, with Pennsylvania Girlchoir, December 17, 2006
6th Annual Holiday Concerts, First Presbyterian Church of Germantown, December 10, 2006
Army/Navy Gala Event, Philadelphia Convention Center, December 2006
Carols led by the Keystone State Boychoir and the Pennsylvania Girlchoir, Treelighting Ceremony, Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, November 2006
La Boheme, with the Opera Company of Philadelphia, October/November 2006
First Presbyterian Church of Germantown Concert Series, September 2006, 2007
Tribute to September 11, with the Ocean City Pops, September 2006
Lunch Concert Series at the Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, June 2006, June 2007
Gala Concert with Pennsylvania Girlchoir, Kimmel Center, Perelman Hall, Philadelphia, June 2006, June 2007
National Anthem performance for Philadelphia International Cycling Championship, June 2006
The Graduate Choir in Concert, First Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, June 2006
5th Anniversary Spring Concert with Philadelphia Children’s Choir, St. Luke, Glenside, May 2006
Children’s Choir Festival, Abington Presbyterian Church, April 2006
Concert with Peter Yarrow, Mt. Airy, April 2006
Hiroshima Boys’ Choir in Concert, Church of the Holy Trinity, March 2006
Wachovia Bank Annual Holiday Party, Philadelphia, 2005, 2006, 2007
Arts in City Hall, City Hall, Philadelphia (2005)
Fairmont Park Conservatory, 150th Anniversary, Governor Rendell honoree (2005)
Inauguration of Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell (2003)
Union League of Philadelphia Holiday Party (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006)
Valley Forge Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Annual Meeting Luncheon (2005)
Memorial Service for Prince Rainier of Monaco, St. Bridget’s, East Falls (2005)
Lord of the Rings Symphony with the Philadelphia Orchestra (2004, 2005)
Messiah with the Germantown Oratorio Choir and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006)
Holiday Concert Series Artists, The Oratory, St. Francis Xavier (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)
Concert Series Artists at the First Presbyterian Church in Germantown (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)
National Anthem performances for the Phillies, 76’ers, Kixx (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005)
Carmina Burana with the Philadelphia Orchestra (2004)
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Concert, Beth Or Synagogue (2004)
Junior Achievement National Awards Ceremony, (2004)
City of Philadelphia Christmas Tree Lighting (2003, 2004)
Gala Concert with the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, Union League (2003) Perelman Hall (2004)
WHYY Lifetime Learning Award Presentation to Tom Ridge, National Constitution Center (2004)
St. Vincent’s (2002, 2003, 2004)
St. Luke’s (2002, 2003, 2004)
St. Matthew Passion with the Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia (2003)
The Wright Stuff Concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Verizon Hall (2003)
Interfaith Thanksgiving Concert, Old First Reformed Church (2003)
Special Emmy Awards presentation, Washington, DC (2003)
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (2003)
Performance on the floor of the Pennsylvania State Senate (2002)
Christmas concert at Fairmont Park’s historic Boat House Row (2002)
Summer Solstice Festival at the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts (2002)
Umcolo! Benefit Concert, St. Ignatius of Antioch Church (2002)
Trump Marina Holiday Concert, Atlantic City (2001, 2002)
Thanksgiving Concert, Memorial Church of the Good Shepherd (2002)
Trinity Center for Urban Life (2002)
Pennsylvania Society, New York City (2002)
Grand Opening of the Independence Visitors Center (2001)
Christmas Eve Concert at the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts (2001)

Festivals:

2nd Annual Keystone State Boychoir Festival, “We are the Boys”, May 2008
“We are The Boys and We Sing”, ACDA-PA Boychoir Festival, May 2007
KSB festival featuring the Maryland State Boychoir, Newark Boys Chorus at First Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, 2005

Concert Tours and Performance Highlights:
Europe 2008 (details at www.paboychoir.org
Tour Blog

Monaco, Paris, Heidelberg, Speyer, Stuttgart, Bad Fuessing, Salzburg, Vienna, Sofia, Nesebar, Plovdiv

Australia 2007 (hosted by Australian Youth Choir) details at www.ksbtourblog.org

Melbourne, ASME Perth, Adelaide, Sydney, Bathurst, Bundaberg

Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia (2006)

Hanoi Opera House with the Vietnam Children’s Choir
Benefit concerts for the Karen tribe and the tsunami victims in Thailand
ISME World Conference and Philharmonik Hall, Petronas Towers in Malaysia

Japan (2005) Commemorating 60 years of peace between the US and Japan
Osaka, Kyoto, Mt. Koya, Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Tokyo

4th of July performance at the home of Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer
Joint concert with the Hiroshima Boys Choir

Pacific Northwest Tour (2004): Calgary, Banff & Vancouver, Canada; Anchorage, Denali, Seward,

Benefit concert to help keep music in the schools in Seward, Alaska

Wild West Tour (2003): Phoenix, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas

Performance for Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman

Brazil (2002): Iguacu Falls, Rio de Janeiro, Ouro Preto, Manaus

Sold out performance at the Manaus Opera House

South Africa (2001): Cape Town, Knysna, Kimberley, Pretoria, Johannesburg, Soweto

Performance in the Hector Peterson Museum, Soweto

Master Class Workshops:
Eric Owens (2008)
Professor Alan Harler (2007)
Dr. James Litton (2005)
Maestro Georg Stangelberger (2004)
Pamyua Yu’pik Eskimos (2004)
Jeffrey Brillhart (2004)
Dr. Donald Dumpson (2003, 2004, 2006)
Dr. David Tang (2003)
Dr. Donald Nally (2001)

Commissions:

The world premiere of CY’s first commissioned piece: Shehecheyanu: Prayer of Gratitude and Psalm 15: Haleluyah!, by Andrew Bleckner
The world-premiere of Edward Bilous’s Benedictus with the Choral Arts Society (2004
The world-premiere of Howard Yermish’s Silver Reflections with the Choral Arts Society

Television and Radio Appearances:
KYW 1060, various announcements Sept. 25, 26, 27
Radio 1540 AM “ German American Show” Sept. 21, 2008
Bulgaria National TV, July 2008
ABC 6, 10, June 2008
ABC 6, March 27
ABC 6, NBC 10 at 10 December 24, 2007
Channel 17, 12:30 p.m., Oct. 2,2007
NBC 10, 11p.m. news, Oct. 2, 2007
ABC 6, Action News, June 27, 2007
ABC 6, Action News, June 10, 2007
Feature story and interview in “Creatively Speaking” WRTI, Philadelphia, June 9, 2007
ABC 6, Comcast Channel 10, Jan. 2007
CBS 3, December 25, 2006
NBC 10’ at 10’, ABC Channel 6, CBS Ch. 3, NBC 10, December 22, 2006
NBC 10, News, December 17, 2006
ABC Channel 6, CBS Channel 3, November 2006
ABC Channel 6, June 11, 2006
ABC Channel 6, News at Noon and 6, KYW, NBC 10, CN8 (December 23, 2005)
ABC Channel 6, News at 6 (December 18, 2005)
NBC 10 at 10 Holiday Show (2002)
Feature story on Comcast CN8
Feature story on FOX 29

Recordings:
KSB Concert Tour 2008
4th Annual CY Gala, June 2008
Holiday Sampler, December 2007
“I will sing” 3rd Annual Commonwealth Youthchoirs Gala concert June 11, 2007, available Fall 2007
“Not Your Average Choir Boys”, December 2005
Hiroshima Boys’ Choir in Concert with Keystone State Boychoir and Pennsylvania Girlchoir, March 26, 2006
Keystone State Boychoir 5th Anniversary Spring Concert with West Philadelphia Children’s Choir, May 2006
Gala Concert with the Pennsylvania Girlchoir at the Kimmel Center, Philadelphia, June 2006

Repertoire:
KSB sings a diverse repertoire from the classical to the contemporary, with music from around the world and specializing in Americana: folk, spirituals, gospel, jazz and Broadway. The Boychoir’s success for an ensemble so young can be attributed to its truly joyful music-making. The boys’ angelic sound is enhanced by an enthralling stage presence. KSB’s music directors believe that if choral music is to continue to thrive as an art form and attract new audiences, it must not only be heard, but seen and felt.