Obituary: Vienna Boys Choirmaster Oliver Steich Dies

By Francisco Salazar

Vienna Boys Choirmaster Oliver Stech has died.

Steich became the choirmaster in 2011 and led the choir in numerous concerts, and on tours of Europe, Asia, South America, and the US.

Born in Waid­hofen/Ybbs, Lower Austria, he began studying the piano and singing and later went on to study romance languages at the University of Vienna and piano, voice, conducting, and music pedagogy at the University of Music.

In 2009, Stech went on to be appointed assistant to Heinz Ferlesch, the artistic director of the Vienna Singakademie. In 2011 he was appointed to the Vienna Boys Choir and was responsible for the boys’ repertoire and conducted choir and solo rehearsals and prepared the boys for the sung services in Vienna’s Imperial Chapel.

He went on to work with such renowned conductors as Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Franz Welser-Möst, and Simone Young.

The Vienna Boys Choir released a statement noting, “We are deeply shocked and saddened to learn that our friend, colleague, teacher and choirmaster Oliver Stech died in a tragic accident on Monday night. There are no details available at this point in time.”

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