Ragazzi Boys Chorus
(San Francisco, California, USA)
Ragazzi Boys Chorus is committed to excellence in musical performance and education. The Ragazzi experience instills self-confidence, cooperation, leadership, sensitivity and tenacity, helping our boys develop into young men of character and distinction. Ragazzi serves our boys and the community by performing a diverse selection of choral works to the highest artistic standards.
— Ragazzi Boys Chorus Mission Statement
Best Choir on the Peninsula
Founded in 1987, Ragazzi Boys Chorus provides outstanding musical education and performance opportunities for boys and young men, ages 5 to 18. Over 200 singers, in six tiered levels — from over 100 schools and over 30 coastside and valley communities — participate in this internationally recognized program.
Under the leadership of artistic director and co–founder, Joyce Keil, Ragazzi Boys Chorus performs a wide range of traditional and contemporary works for both the treble and changed voice. The chorus concertizes regularly throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Ragazzi participated in the San Francisco Symphony’s recording of Stravinsky’s Perséphone, which was included in the Symphony’s GRAMMY award for best classical album. The chorus also produces its own discography. Ragazzi made its Carnegie Hall debut in 2014 and tours throughout the world to widen chorus members’ musical and cultural horizons, and deepen Ragazzi’s reputation for performance excellence.
Ragazzi Boys Chorus is organized into four chorus levels for trebles, and two for changed voices. Our Concert Group and Choral Scholars rehearse together only one hour per week, plus two weekend hours once a month. They have mastered Ragazzi’s extensive music theory program, which every chorister begins upon joining the program. Created by Theory Director Carol Panofsky, Ragazzi’s music theory program continues through concepts equivalent to first-year college theory, and is taught through written workbooks, rehearsal curriculum, solfege and aural training.
Members of Ragazzi’s elite Concert Group range from 5th to 8th grade. They learn very challenging music and are called on to collaborate with outside groups who require skilled trebles. Concert Group boys are expected to exhibit the highest standards of musical excellence, group cohesion, and poised professionalism. This group tours every year, either domestically or internationally.
Choral Scholars is a changed-voice chamber group selected from Ragazzi’s high school Young Men’s Ensemble. It is an internal honor choir that performs repertoire of the highest difficulty and musical standards. Membership requires superb musicianship and singing, as well as excellent citizenship. They tour domestically and internationally.
Young Men’s Ensemble is Ragazzi’s main chorus for changed voices. The group performs its own repertoire for tenors and basses, and may sing with the trebles to provide lower voice parts for mixed choral music.
Avanti is an upper level treble group that performs its own repertoire and performs with Ragazzi's other groups. Avanti tours domestically every year. Singers range from 3rd to 8th grade, and work towards completing Ragazzi's music theory program and learning standard repertoire that can be performed at weddings or concerts.
Ragazzi Premiere singers are intermediate choristers who are moving beyond the basics of vocal technique, music theory, classroom and practical musicianship. Increased behavioral and musical maturity allows Premiere boys to participate in Ragazzi's end of semester recitals, at selected public concerts, and with some outside organizations.
Primary Group boys are beginners, ages 7-10. They learn the basics of music theory, vocalism and practical musicianship. They perform about 4 times per year.
Ragazzi Boys Chorus performed for visitors and patients at the Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, CA. Boys performed at various locations within the hospital, singing repertoire that includes Bach/Gounod’s Ave Maria, Panis Angelicus by Cesar Franck, and seasonal holiday music. We were hounored to have sent our young representatives to share music at this world-renowned hospital that specialises in helping children with their healthcare needs. Ragazzi is grateful to be hosted and underwritten at this event by the Chenter Foundation and supported by
Licha Stelaus Productions.
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*Disclaimer: We are Ragazzi Boys Chorus' supporter and presenter of some of their current and future performances. We are neither their agent nor manager. If you would like to engage this great chorus in your events we are happy to make the link. Please email us through CONTACT form. Thank you. - Licha Stelaus Productions.
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