The Cabrillo Choir is taking on one of its biggest stages yet: Carnegie Hall. This spring, the group will travel to New York City to perform The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, a multimedia choral piece that pairs music with projections of Leonardo’s art and writings.
For longtime choir director Cheryl Anderson, who’s stepping down at the end of this academic year after 35 years, it’s a full-circle moment she never saw coming.
“At first, I said no—we had just gone on tour to Spain and France last summer, and I thought it was too soon to take on another big trip,” Anderson said. “But the minute I said something, they proved me wrong. They said, ‘No, we have to go.’” she said.
Anderson said the invitation to perform came directly from Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY), a group she’s collaborated with in the past.

“Normally, you have to initiate it,” she said. “This time, they called me and said, ‘We have an opening on Sunday, and we’d really love to have Cabrillo come.’” she added.
The group has spent months preparing for the concert, rehearsing multiple times a week, even during winter and spring breaks—to master the complex piece.

“It’s like eating an elephant—you take it one bite at a time,” Anderson said with a laugh. “Each individual chorus worked on the music on their own, and then we began putting it together. We had to build a balanced chorus across all sections.”
Composed by Jocelyn Hagen, The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci blends live vocals with projections of Leonardo’s sketches, diagrams, and writing.

“The visuals are unbelievable—gorgeous,” Anderson said. “The original art, Leonardo’s sketches, they’re brilliant and beautiful. It’s a phenomenal artistic piece.”
Anderson said she was drawn to the project not just for its innovation, but for the experience it would offer her community. Alongside the adult choir, she invited members of the Youth Chorus to join the trip, creating a rare opportunity for singers across generations to perform together on a renowned stage.

“There’s a six-year-old going, and there are people well into their 80s,” she said. “We’re traveling with a whole community.”
Anderson has led Cabrillo’s choir across the globe from the Vatican in Rome to stages throughout Europe. Even now, after so many years, she said the way music brings people together continues to move her.

“Music has the potential to touch people in a deep way,” she said. “I think the poetry and its beauty stays in their minds and in their souls for the rest of their lives.”
This final season has already brought moments of celebration. In two recent local concerts, the choir received extended standing ovations—seven minutes in Monterey and ten minutes in Santa Cruz.

“That kind of support, it’s rare,” Anderson said. “And I want everyone to know how deeply I appreciate it.”
Anderson said she isn’t focused on legacy as her final semester unfolds. Instead, she’s soaking in the joy of the moment.

“It’s a dream,” she said. “I didn’t plan it this way, but sometimes good things just happen.”