About the H+H Youth Choruses

The Handel and Haydn Society Youth Choruses is a collaborative community where Greater Boston’s young singers hone their craft, express their creativity, and make unforgettable memories alongside forever friends. Our curious and courageous musicians gather each Saturday to explore a dynamic repertoire of music spanning continents and centuries, a testament to their passion for the living tradition of choral music.

Over its 30 years, HHYC has grown from a handful of dedicated young people to seven choruses welcoming more than 150 singers each semester, ranging from ages 7–18 and from aspiring professional musicians to people whose singing experience starts and ends at “Happy Birthday.” Through large- and small-group instruction, weekly musicianship classes, collaborations with leading professional ensembles, and international tours (like our 2024 tour to Austria), world-class faculty partner with these young artists to create a rigorous yet welcoming environment for musical and personal growth—a chance for everyone to find their voice. Singers also treat H+H audiences to inspiring (and impressive) performances onstage at Symphony Hall—often joined by the H+H Orchestra and Chorus—throughout each subscription season, most recently appearing in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 conducted by Raphaël Pichon.

Some HHYC alumni excel in leading conservatory programs and perform with major ensembles, supported in part by an HHYC scholarship. Others help the H+H community grow by sharing their passion for music with the people they love. All of them remain part of the H+H family. In these ways, and so many more, HHYC is essential to H+H’s work to fulfill its mission to inspire the intellect, elevate the soul, and connect all of us with our shared humanity through transformative experiences with Baroque and Classical music.

The H+H Youth Choruses are a component of the Karen S. and George D. Levy Education Program.