The Tölz Boys' Choir currently has around 210 members, ranging from juniors to men's choirs. In the 2022/23 season, more than 100 choral and solo performances will be performed. © Hans-Peter Remark
This news causes a stir in music circles: Stellario Fagone becomes the new artistic director of the Tölz Boys' Choir. In March, there was a rift with the Bavarian State Opera, where the Italian had been employed for 20 years.
Bad Tölz/Munich – The Tölz Boys' Choir has a new artistic director. As the choir announced on Tuesday, Stellario Fagone will take up this position on June 1. The news caused a stir in music circles, as the Italian had held various leading positions at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich since 2003, most recently as deputy choir director and director of the children's choir. In March 2023, he was summarily dismissed. Nothing is known about the reasons.
Fagone enjoys an excellent reputation and works closely with world stars such as Jonas Kaufmann. The direction of the Tölzer Knabenchor is a "task of the heart" for him, he is quoted as saying in the press release. He wanted to "preserve the identity of the boys' choir in terms of sound and repertoire", but also to complement it with new ideas. The aim is also to win over more "Tölzer Knaben" again, it continues.
Schmidt-Gaden: "Fagone is an institution"
Barbara Schmidt-Gaden, managing director of the boys' choir, was happy about this coup: "Stellario Fagone is an institution and manages to make everyone give their best with pleasure and genuine joy," she is quoted as saying. The Italian has everything she could have wished for – "both humanly and pedagogically, but also in terms of vocal and artistic know-how".
Stellario Fagone (53), new artistic director of the Tölz Boys' Choir. © Agency
Preparations are underway for the 70th anniversary in 2026
The Tölz Boys' Choir currently has around 210 members, ranging from juniors to men's choirs. In the 2022/23 season, more than 100 choral and solo performances will be performed. Only recently, the choir announced that it wanted to strengthen its identification with Bad Tölz (we reported). With Fagone, they now want to work towards the choir's 70th anniversary, which will be celebrated in 2026.
Successor to Michael Hofstetter
Fagone comes from Turin, where he also studied and worked as pianist and musical assistant of the RAI Symphony Orchestra in Turin from 1998 to 2000. He succeeds Michael Hofstetter in the Tölz Boys' Choir. He had been introduced as artistic director in June 2021, but resigned from this position the following summer. Hofstetter's numerous other commitments were cited as reasons. He now acts as Principal Guest Conductor and recorded a CD of Bach motets with the choir in the parish church last summer.
You can find even more up-to-date news from the region at Merkur.de/Bad Tölz.
