AUSTRALIAN BOYS CHORAL INSTITUTE PROGRAMS

ABOUT THE CHOIR

The Australian Boys Choir has established an outstanding reputation as Australia's 'first and finest' secular choir for boys and young men. Founded in 1939, it has trained thousands of singers over the course of its history, touring extensively overseas, appearing on radio and television and collaborating widely. It presents an annual concert series, and has appeared for Opera Australia, the Australian Ballet, and on the soundtrack of several critically acclaimed films: the Oscar-nominated Elizabeth and the Australian box office hit The Dish.

A registered not-for-profit performing and training organisation based in Melbourne, it is open to all boys with unchanged voices. Entry to the training groups of the Choir is by selective audition for boys aged between 7-9 years old. Places in our non-auditioned Early Learners program are open to younger girls and boys. We also opened a second auditioned stream for teenagers in 2025. The Choir has been proud to foster outreach all over Australia for decades. Please click the links below for further information and registrations for our programs.

TRAINING PHILOSOPHY

Composer Zoltan Kodály (1882-1967) determined to build a national musical culture for his native Hungary by educating children in their heritage of folksongs (their ‘mother tongue’). Promoting a desire to sing, he discovered that it is possible to achieve universal musical literacy and to bring music into everyday living in home and classroom as well as the concert hall. His approach to music education has since become known as the 'Kodaly Method' with an enormous impact worldwide. According to one of the core principles of this methodology, the ear, the eye, the hand, and the heart must all be trained together. Hand signs are used to represent the notes of the solfege (do, re, mi, etc) and reinforce pitch, helping children to learn intervals between notes.

EARLY LEARNERS PROGRAM - NON-AUDITIONED CLASSES FOR 4-7 YRS

In addition to our auditioned entry choral program, the Australian Boys Choir's Early Learners Program, introduced in 2019, offers non-auditioned classes for preschool and lower primary girls and boys aged 4-7 years in both the Eastern and Western suburbs of Melbourne. The program has also expanded to the Bayside area, continuing to take more music to more children.

Find out more about our Early Learners classes.

TRAINING PROGRAM - AUDITIONS FOR ENROLMENT BETWEEN 7-9 YRS

We at the ABC firmly believe that musical literacy ought to be a goal for all and that the benefits of a sound musical education are far-reaching for aesthetic, academic and social outcomes. So we have taken many of Kodály’s ideals and adapted them to our needs. Each boy progresses through the following training levels of the Australian Boys Choir at his own rate, gaining not only musical knowledge and skills, but also growing in confidence and personal independence.

Find out more about our Training Program.

Book an audition.

TRAINING PROGRAM - AUDITIONS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AGED 12+

The Choir has a proud history of fostering vocal health and development in changing voices and has contributed to the choral culture of both professional and community groups in Melbourne. A number of leading soloists and chorus members in both opera and musical theatre have also received training at the ABCI. A strong feature of the Choir is the unique 'career path' for boys after their voices change: our Cambiata training group and the Kelly Gang for those of secondary-school age who have completed their ABCI training. The Vocal Consort is our outstanding chamber choir for young adults.

Find out more about auditions for teenagers to benefit from our Training Program.