the boys and the artistic director personally. From 2009 to 2014, Ralf Ludewig was artistic director and managing director of the choir. In 2014, he was dismissed by Schmidt-Gaden right before the start of a tour of China due to serious disagreements about personnel management and artistic direction. From September 2014 to March 2021, vocal coaches Christian Fliegner and Clemens Haudum were the musical and artistic directors of the Tölzer Knabenchor. Both were longtime members of the staff around Schmidt-Gaden, who continued to pull the strings in his role as artistic mentor. Schmidt-Gaden's wife Helga Schmidt-Gaden took care of economic matters as before, while daughter Barbara Schmidt-Gaden joined as artistic and operational coordinator and has been the sole executive director since 2016. In May 2016, long-time choir manager Anselm Sibig was unexpectedly fired and replaced by Barbara Schmidt-Gaden, who took over his duties for only a short period of time. In 2017, author Christopher Kloeble, who sang in the choir from 1988 to 1994, reported mental abuse by then-choir manager Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden. Another choirboy confirmed the atmosphere of fear, humiliation, and emotional violence, including slaps in the face, for that time. Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden and current executive director Barbara Schmidt-Gaden did not comment on the allegations. After Clemens Haudum resigned his position as artistic director in March 2021, Christian Fliegner was the sole artistic director until June 2021, when Michael Hofstetter was introduced as the choir's new artistic director at the end of June 2021. Fliegner took over the newly created position of training director with the 2021/22 season. A year later - at the end of the 2021/22 season - the choir was again restructured. After one year, Michael Hofstetter left the Tölzer Knabenchor. According to a press release, the choir needed a director with a particularly intensive, regular teaching schedule. Hofstetter, however, could not provide this because of his other artistic commitments. Hofstetter will, however, remain with the choir as principal guest conductor and advisory board member of the sponsoring association. The succession of the artistic direction has not been settled for the time being. Since 2014, the choir has hosted a boys' choir festival in Bad Tölz, featuring internationally renowned choirs such as the Vienna Boys' Choir, the Augsburg Cathedral Boys' Choir, the Zurich Boys' Choir, and the Wilten Boys' Choir. Talent development and education in the choir The total choir consists of about 170 boys, who are