Viva la Musica!—choir, orchestra, and soloists—performs a send-off-to-Sweden concert Sunday, June 14, 4 PM, at Los Altos United Methodist Church, 655 Magdalena Avenue, CA 94024,(Map Directions), giving their home audience an opportunity to experience the razzle-dazzle repertoire that they will perform in Stockholm and Uppsala.
The concert program has a regal theme, Mozart’s celebratory Coronation Mass being the jewel in the crown. In this most popular of Mozart’s early masses, festive trumpets and timpani infuse this music with grandeur. The Archbishop of Salzburg had imposed musical restraints on the precocious 23-year-old composer, but Mozart, with his irrepressible compositional genius, threw these off with aplomb! Soloists, chorus, and orchestra interact with each other. The audience might recognize two tender soprano solos that Mozart later recycled into arias in his operas, Marriage of Figaro and Cosi fan Tutte. The Mass is preceded by an Epistle Sonata for orchestra: just 4 minutes in duration, it bursts with 15 musical motifs.
A perennial favorite, the famous festive anthem, Zadok the Priest, written by Handel at the request of his fellow German, George II, for George’s coronation in 1727, has been performed at all ten British coronations since, including that of the present King Charles. Haydn’s ebullient Te Deum for the Empress Maria Theresa has dramatic punctuations and poignant contemplations. René Ochoa’s Mariachi-flavored Misa Del Pueblo (“Mass of the People”) is sure to have the audience toe-tapping. A set of favorite spirituals and a rousing gospel number close this eclectic program.
Viva la Musica!, founded in 2001, celebrates 25 years of local concerts and collaborations with sister performing arts organizations, and is about to embark on its 10th international performance tour.
Soloists Helene Zindarsian, soprano; Celeste Winant, mezzo-soprano; Corey Head, tenor; and John-Elliot Kirk, bass, are featured. Shulamit Hoffmann conducts.
Come early—last year’s concert played to packed house! There is no advance booking for the Los Altos concert. In lieu of ticket purchases, donations are much appreciated, and can be sent ahead via Zelle (scan QR code below), or made at the concert.
Information at vivalamusica.org or (650) 346-5084.
Shulamit Hoffmann
Shulamit Hoffmann founded Viva la Musica! in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2001. The ensemble’s repertoire includes major choral-orchestral works, multi-cultural and multi-media, and concert collaborations with sister performing arts organizations. Performance tours include Vermont (2004), Vienna and Salzburg (2006), Prague and Dresden (2011), Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn, Helsinki, and St Petersburg (2017), London and Bath (2023) and Carnegie Hall, New York (2008, 2009, 2019, 2025). Viva’s imminent performances in Sweden will mark Dr Hoffmann’s fifth and sixth conducting appearance under the auspices of MidAmerica Productions.
Dr Hoffmann celebrates her twenty-fifth year at the College of San Mateo, California, having served on the faculties of Notre Dame de Namur University, California, Idaho State University, Brigham Young University Extension Idaho, the University of Witwatersrand, and University of Cape Town.
Dr Hoffmann earned her doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University, New York. She holds master’s degrees in piano performance and choral conducting, and licentiate diplomas in piano teaching from the Royal Schools of Music, London, and the University of South Africa. Her mentors include Drs. Hal Abeles, Randall Allsup, and Marie Volpe, music education; Dr Charlene Archibeque (American Choral Directors Association Robert Shaw Awardee), choral conducting; and Dr Adolph Hallis and Lamar Crowson, piano.
Named Outstanding Graduate Student in the San José State University School of Music and Dance, Dr Hoffmann has won scholarships from Columbia University, University of South Africa, University of Witwatersrand, and the Cape Tercentenary Foundation. She has served on Music Teachers National Association and National Federation of Music Clubs local boards. She has twice received US Congressional Recognition, and her name is entered into the US Congressional Record for service to her community. She is a recipient of the San Mateo County Mayors’ Diversity Award.
Shulamit and her husband are ardent lovers of Miniature Schnauzers. Current siblings Felix and Fanny (Mendelssohn) were preceded by Amadeus and Nannerl (Mozart), Toby (after piano pedagogue Tobias Matthay), and Smutsie (after South African statesman Jan Smuts).
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Viva la Musica!
Inspired performance!
Viva la Musica! was founded by Shulamit Hoffmann in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2001. After more than 20 years of bi-annual local performances, Viva’s repertoire now spans 50 choral-orchestral works, hundreds of choral works, "scores" of orchestral works, and several multi-media presentations (repertoire).
Collaborations at home include Rutter Mass of the Children with the Saratoga Symphony and Ragazzi, Shulamit conductor; Beethoven Mass in C, Brahms Requiem, and Mendelssohn Die erste Walpurgisnacht with Master Sinfonia Chamber Orchestra, David Ramadanoff conductor; and Beethoven Ninth Symphony and Karl Jenkins In these Stones Horizons Sing with Symphony Parnassus, Stephen Paulson conductor.
Choir-and-orchestra tours include the International Choral Kathaumixw, Canada (2004); International Choral Festival, Vermont (2005); Singing with Sir David Willcocks and Duane Wolff, Vancouver, B.C. (2006); Vienna and Salzburg (2006); Mozart Requiem, Prague and Dresden (2011); Forrest Jubilate Deo and Gjeilo Dark Night of the Soul, Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, (2017).
Under the auspices of MidAmerica Productions concerts include: Rutter Mass of the Children, Rutter conducting (2008); Vivaldi Gloria (2009) Carnegie Hall, New York, Shulamit conducting; Forrest Requiem for the Living (2019), Carnegie Hall, Shulamit conducting; Rutter Magnificat, (2023), Bath Abbey, Rutter conducting, and Ola Gjeilo Dark Night of the Soul, London, Shulamit conducting.; Mozart Requiem (2025) Carnegie Hall, New York. The choir is eagerly looking forward to performing Ochoa Misa del Pueblo and spirituals in Stockholm's Kungsholm Kyrke, and Mozart Coronation Mass, Handel Zadok the Priest, and Haydn Te Deum for Empress Maria Theresa in the Uppsala Cathedral, Sweden (2026).
Shulamit Hoffmann Ed D
Viva la Musica! Founder and Artistic Director
Shulamit earned her doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University. She holds master’s degrees in piano performance and in choral conducting, and her bachelor’s degree in music includes a major in English literature. She is a licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music, London, and of the University of South Africa.
Her teachers include Dr Adolph Hallis, Lamar Crowson, and Nellie Tholen, piano; Drs Charlene Archibeque and Dino Anagnost, conducting; and Drs Hal Abeles and Randall Allsup, music education.
Shulamit founded Viva la Musica as part of her choral conducting master’s program, and she has since served as the ensemble’s artistic director and conductor. Performances include regular bi-annual San Francisco Bay Area concetts, collaborations with other ensembles, and nine performance-focused domestic and European tours, and, with great anticipation, Viva's 10th tour, to Sweden, 2026.
Dr Hoffmann has taught at several colleges and universities and is currently in her 25th year at College of San Mateo.
The recipient of several academic and professional scholarships, Shulamit was named Outstanding Graduate Student in the School of Music and Dance at San José State University. She is a San Mateo County Mayors’ Diversity Award honoree. Shulamit has twice received U.S. Congressional Recognitions (2002, 2013) and her biography is entered into the Congressional Record.
She and her husband have been proud parents to Amadeus and Nannerl, Smutsie, Toby, and now Fanny and Felix— all miniature Schnauzers.
Anna Khaydarova
Viva la Musica! Collaborative Pianist
Anna Khaydarova earned her Master of Music degree in Piano Performance with an Award of Excellence from Notre Dame de Namur University and a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy with honors from Tashkent State Conservatory, in Uzbekistan. Anna won Second Place in the Bartok–Prokofiev-Kabalevski International Piano Competition in Redford, Virginia, and First Place in the Notre Dame Concerto Competition, in Belmont, California.
Anna has served as collaborative pianist for Viva la Musica since 2005, and has been a featured soloist in Viva’s performances of Beethoven Choral Fantasy and Mozart Double Piano Concerto. Anna is also pianist for Folsom Lake College Choral Program and other choirs. She has traveled in the U.S. and Europe with these organizations as featured pianist and accompanist.
She is Music Director at Island United Church, Foster City, where she also has an active piano teaching studio. Anna has two children, Darrell and Nicole, Stella the dog, and a cat.
CSM Distance Education Newsletter — December 2025
Lacrimosa from Mozart Requiem
Carnegie Hall, New York, June 22, 2025
Presented by MidAmerica Productions
Shulamit Hoffmann, conductor
New England Symphonic Ensemble and Combined Choir
Ola Gjeilo Dark Night of the Soul
St. Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, London, June 29 2023
Massed choir under the auspices of MidAmerica Productions
Anna Khaydarova, piano
Lauren Haber, soprano
Shulamit Hoffmann, conductor
Mozart Requiem
St. Marks Episcopal Church, Palo Alto, California, March 6, 2011
Viva la Musica Choir & Orchestra
Deirdre Lobo-D'Cunha, Soprano
Wendy Morgan Hunter, mezzo-soprano
Brian Thorsett, tenor
Jordan Eldredge, baritone
Freddie Mendoza, tenor trombone
Shulamit Hoffmann, conductor