In Mixed Choir Viva, we pay great attention to the implementation of new compositions and arrangements from renowned Slovene composers. The symphony of Everything Flows, which we performed at our 25th anniversary on Sunday, September 17 2017, in the Knight’s Hall of the Posavje Museum Brežice, was created in cooperation with four renowned composers. Damijan Močnik, Andrej Makor, Tine Bec in Matjaž Predanič have written choral instrumental work for Viva in which their four compositions are interweaved. The author's compositions are based on literary texts by Slovenian poets (Kovič, Novy, Kuntner and Strniša), the theme is related to the choir’s moto Vivat, crescat, floreat - Let it live, frow and blossom!

Mixed Choir Viva Brežice is a synonym of creativity, innovation, love of singing, socializing and quality leisure time. For last three decades it has been contributing to the enrichment of cultural life and the promotion of the Municipality of Brežice in the Slovenian and international space.

The choir was founded in autumn of 1992 at the initiative of choir director Simone Rožman Strnad. She invited musical acquaintances from her hometown and the surrounding area to the new choir, and right from the very beginning of her creative journey, they brought freshness to the otherwise rich choral tradition of Posavje region.

The choir constantly improved its work, and continuously demonstrated its quality at various competitions, with innovative concert programs and performances of numerous choral novelties. Since the first appearance at the international competition in 1996 in Italy, competitions in Lithuania (2005), Greece (2007), Italy (2009), Thailand (2013), Spain (2016) and Estonia (2019) have followed. The most prominent successes from the competitions are gold awards and special awards from Lithuania, Greece, Thailand, Spain and Estonia. In addition to foreign competitions, the choir participates in the national competition Naša pesem in Maribor, in 2022 they performed there for the ninth time, and were awarded a gold plaque and a prize for the best performance of a contemporary original piece written for the choir by the local composer Krištof Strnad.

The choir also performed at various festivals and concerts in Slovenia and abroad, between 2002 and 2011 it was invited to participate in prestigious international projects, and the last 10 years have been characterized by original thematic concert programs and original projects with innovative approaches in choral creation.

In the jubilee year 2022, the choir carried out new creative projects: a street exhibition From the Chronicle of Viva's Three Decades, Viva's postcards with which the choir invited the choir to its events, a two-day Viva's "rajža", a bus tour with performances in the places where Viva's singers come from, Viva's gala dance, a festive "Vivat, crescat, floreat" concert with and release of the new audio collection Amidst green and violet.

In three decades, Viva's singers performed as many as 45 choral novelties and released five albums.

In autumn 2022, the choir announced that Simona Rožman Strnad's 30-year leadership of the choir will be succeeded by her son Krištof Strnad, a composition student at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana.

Take a look, here are some of our more significant achievements throughout the years of our existence.

Competitions:

• 2022 – 27 th Slovene choir competition Naša pesem – gold plaque (90.7 points), special award for the best performance of an original Slovene novelty, written from September 2021 (Krištof Strnad: Vesna, boginja pomladi; Vesna, goddess of spring);
• 2019 – Regional competition of adult choirs of Dolenjska, Bela Krajina and Posavje: 9. 11. 2019, Castle Rajhenburg, gold award (87 points), special award for the best performance of a composition written in the period of Romanticism (Becker: Lobet den Herrn), special award for the best performance of a contemporary composition (Močnik: Oči), special award for the best performance of a folk song (Bec: Igraj kolo na dva desetina), award to the choir director for the best choice of the competition programme;
• 2019 – 16 th international choir competition Tallinn, Estonia, 11 th – 14 th April 2019, two second places: mixed choir category (89.6 points), folk song category (95 points)
• 2016 – 34th international festival of music Cantonigròs (Catalonia) – 4th place in mixed choir category in and special festival award in the competition of 13 choirs from all over the world;
• 2016 – 24th Slovenian choral competition Naša pesem Maribor – silver award of the city Maribor (85,7 points);
• 2015 – Regional competition of adult singing groups, gold award, special award for the best choir of competition, special award to conductress for competition schedule selection;
• 2013 – Grand Prix Pattaya (Thailand) – internetional choral competition: three categories (mixed choirs, jazz-gospel-spiritual, folklore a cappella), 3 gold diplomas over 96 points, 1st place in mixed choir category, 2nd place in jazz-gospel-spiritual category;
• 2012 – Slovenian choral competition Naša pesem Maribor – bronze award of the Maribor city (78,7 points);
• 2010 – Slovenian choral competition Naša pesem Maribor – silver award of the city Maribor (89 points);
• 2009 – International choral competition Rimini, Italy, 2nd place and silver award;
  2007 – International choral competition in sacred music Preveza, Greece – gold medal;
• 2007 – Slovenian choral competition Naša pesem Maribor – silver award of the Maribor city (89 points);
• 2006 – 2nd regional competition of adult singing groups from regions Dolenjska, Bele krajina and Posavje in Novo mesto, Slovenia – gold award, the best choir of the competition;
• 2005 – International choral competition Stasys Šimkus Klaipeda, Lithuania – gold award and best mixed choir award, Grand Prix performance;
• 2004 – 1st regional competition of adult singing groups from regions Dolenjska, Bele krajina and Posavje in Novo mesto, Slovenia – gold award;
• 2003 – Slovenian choral competition Naša pesem Maribor – silver award of the Maribor city (87 points);
• 2001 – International choral competition In … canto sul Garda, Italy – 2 gold diplomas; thr award for a promising young conductress;
• 2001 – Slovenian choral competition Naša pesem Maribor – silver award of the Maribor city (86,7 points);
• 1999 – International choral competition Novy Bor, Czech republic – bronze award;
• 1999 – Slovenian choral competition Naša pesem Maribor – silver award of the Maribor city (83,5 points);
• 1997 – Slovenian choral competition Naša pesem Maribor – silver award of the Maribor city (81,3 points);
• 1996 – International choral competition 4° Concorso Corale Internazionale, Riva del Garda – silver diploma.

Projects and events:

• 2018 – Annual concert Let me embrace you – Slovenian folk songs – theatricak performance, premiere 6. 10., repetition 4. 11., The Knight's Hall ob Brežice Castle;
• 2018 – koncert Everything flows Vse teče – a shooting star; Gala concert by extended ensemble of current and former Viva's singers, two concerts, February, The Knight's Hall ob Brežice Castle;
• 2017 – Gala concert, project Everything flows, following choir's 25th anniversary – vocal-instrumental project in 4 parts; author music of 4 composers (Makor, Predanič, Bec, Močnik), written for Viva Brežice; premiere performance with two concerts, september The Knight's Hall ob Brežice Castle; repetition in KC Janez Trdina Novo mesto (20. 10. 2018);
• 2014 – Sozvočenja – regional thematic concert of adult singing groups, first award: singing in the final concert in Slovenian philharmonic, Ljubljana;
• 2012 – Viva's 20th anniversary with 20 events, called "Vivanje": edition of Viva's newspaper, jubilee concert with repetition: premiere performances of songs - arrangements of Slovenian folk songs with instrumental accompaniment, a literary evening with a photographic exhibition, issuing our new CD Kako se ti medi dopadeš (novelties - arrangements of Slovenian folk with instrumental accompaniment, written especially for Viva);
• 2011 – international project: Gustav Mahler's 8th Symphny, Symphony of a thousand with slovenian professional and amateur choirs, along with Slovenian and Zagreb (Croatia) philharmonic orchestras - events in Ljubljana and Zagreb were broadcasted by Slovenian and Croation national televisions;
• 2010 – participation in international project: Orff's Carmina Burana, together with Choir sv. Nikolaja Litija (Slovenia) and Symphonic orchestra Collegium musicum Potsdam (Germany) - concerts in Potsdamu (Germany), Krško and Litija (Slovenia);
• 2008 – printed publication "Choral music in Posavje region from the 19th to the 20th century";
• 2007 – An expert public consultation "Choral music in Posavje region from the 19th to the 20th century" in Brežice (Slovenia);
• 2006 – Christmas concerts project "Winter Fairytale" with Slovenian Army Orchestra, conducted by Tomaž habe – 4 concerts: two in Ljubljana, one in Maribor and one in Nova Gorica (Slovenia);
• 2006 – Cooperation with Italian orchestra Barrocco di Bologna on an opening ceremoy of Festival SEVIQC Brežice in The Knight's Hall of Brežice Castle: performing two Vivaldi's compositions: Gloria and Magnificat; the concert was covered by Slovenian national television;
• 2004 – participation in the international music festival Music Coridance, Tarare (France);
• 2003 – participation in the international festival in Custozzi (Italy);
• 2003 – cooperation in common project of Slovenian Army Orchestra and selected female singing groups to honor 150th anniversary of Vincent van Gogh's borthday, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana (Slovenia);
• 2002 – cooperation in international project VII. European days of musical youth in Switzarland (Bern, Luzern);
• 2002 – cooperation in project Requiem – 4 selected choirs and Slovenian Army Orchestra;
• 1999 – concert tour Toronto (Canada);
• 1999 – concert tour Berchtesgaden (Germany).

CDs:

• 2012 – 5th CD Kako se ti meni dopadeš;
• 2012 – 4th CD Viva (u)živa, posnetek konceta v živo;
• 2008 – 3rd CD Vrtiljak;
• 2002 – 2nd CD Odkar vem zanjo …;
• 1997 – 1st CD Vivat, crescat, floreat – Naj živi, raste in cvete.

Choirmaster Simona Rožman Strnad is Viva’s boundless source of creativity. She graduated from the Department of Music Pedagogy at the Faculty of Education, University of Maribor in choral conducting, and during her studies, she gained knowledge and experience as a singer and accompanist with the Carmina Slovenica Choir. After finishing her studies, she returned to Brežice, and with the founding of Viva realized her desire to lead her choir.

She taught at the Brežice Music School and the Brežice High School, wherein in 2013, she co-founded the Mixed Youth Choir of the Brežice High School, which she still leads today. Since 1998, she has been devoting herself to creativity in culture as the head of the Brežice Regional Branch at the Republic of Slovenia Public Fund for Cultural Activities.

She has attended numerous seminars and workshops for choral conductors. At the international choral competition ‘’In canto sul Garda’’ 2001 in Riva del Garda, she received an award/scholarship for the best young choirmaster of the competition, and at the singing week Europa Cantat in Ljubljana 2007, she was an assistant in a workshop, led by the renown choir conductor Gary Graden. In 2021, she was a member of the International Music Commission for the Europa Cantat 2021 Festival.

She is the recipient of many awards at regional, national and international competitions for composing and performing competition programs and individual compositions.

For her outstanding contribution to the development of choral music in the municipality of Brežice and beyond, she received a gold medal from the Association of Cultural Societies of Brežice and the highest recognition of the Municipality of Brežice – the October 2012 award.