The founder of the choir was Jerzy Kurczewski (1924-1995), an outstanding conductor and teacher, an authority on choral singing, the creator of the only choir school in Poland, existing since 1957. His Poznań Boys' Choir gave over 2200 concerts in many countries on 4 continents. It took part in numerous prestigious musical festivals, it performed i.a. in Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Musikverein. The ensemble issued many records, and performed the world premieres of significant compositions by modern composers.
In the years 1992-2003 the choir was part of the association called the "Polish Nightingales" Poznań Boys' Choir conducted by Wojciech A. Krolopp. The choir was known to the audience in a large number of countries in the world. The ensemble's crisis in June 2003, which became the object of interest for the media, brought about a complete change of the way in which the choir functioned and the restoration of its previous name.
The new Poznań Boys' Choir director is Jacek Sykulski - a composer and conductor, his assistant is Agata Steczkowska - a conductor and a charismatic choir teacher, the deputy director for organisational matters is Marcin Poprawski.
The top priority of the institution is providing comprehensive assistance for the children from the ex-"Polish Nightingales", reconstructing the choir from its foundation, developing a new artistic quality through the introduction of innovative methods in the work with the singers, a new sound and repertoire. The new conductors, teachers and psychologists have been working with the choir consisting solely of boys since September 2003. The repair actions concerning artistic work are based on the unconventional techniques used to shape the human voice, accompanied by continuous concern with its health.The choir works in close cooperation with the 9-grade Poznań Choir School founded by Jerzy Kurczewski, attended by the singers of the choir. The school constitutes a stable and long-term educational base for the ensemble.
In November 2003 the ensemble gave a performance during a concert of the outstanding jazz-soul vocal group "Take 6" at the invitation of the American musicians, in December - together with the Poznań Philharmonic - it took part in the interpretation of The Planets by Gustav Holst. The choir participated in the realisation of a music video prepared within the scope of the Children's Art Biennale. Since September 2003, Jacek Taszakowski, a well known Polish filmmaker, has been accompanying the work of the choir, and is now preparing a documentary about the ensemble during the period of change.
The Official Premiere of the revived boys' choir will take place in June 2004. It will be a concert - multimedia show based on a composition for boys' choir and harp by Benjamin Britten and on modern polyphonic Irish music.Prepared on the basis of received information, January 2004.
