About The Soraya
Who we are
To our audiences we offer discovery, participation, engagement, and life-long learning. Some patrons walk to events from nearby neighborhoods, and others travel to us from hours away. In the lobby, we invite the suit and tie as well as shorts and sandals. No matter your background, The Soraya is a place where students, families, arts patrons, and first-timers are all equally welcomed. Curiosity is the common thread.
For our artists we offer care, attention to detail, and admiration for their lifetime spent perfecting their craft. High art and folk art, local and international, highly amplified and the barely audible – our stage is a welcoming place for all. At The Soraya, some artists are revered worldwide, and some are newcomers yet to be discovered. Innovation and refinement alike, artistic excellence is foremost. Virtuosity comes in many forms.
We’re a staff that leads with its values, a team that aims to be adaptable and timely, that practices tenacity and transparency. We seek to understand all artists and audiences equally and to treat each of them with respect.
Our highest purpose is realized when we see each other in reflection—when audiences and artists regard our collective humanity and our individual differences. At The Soraya, we share a common vision of the Valley where a thriving performing arts center forges a future for the region and uplifts its peoples. Together, we share this extraordinary place, a home where diverse artists and audiences cohabitate for enrichment.
Where We Are
California State Northridge (CSUN) is the largest university in the largest public higher education system in the world – serving more than 40,000 students annually. Overall, in terms of enrollment, CSUN is the third-largest university in the state, behind only UCLA and USC. On top of enrolled students, there are also more than 400,000 CSUN alumni around the world.
This campus is home to the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya). Nestled on the South-most part of campus, The Soraya welcomes the world to CSUN and reflects the curiosity and intellectual development of its students, faculty, and staff back to the campus.
CSUN and The Soraya recognize and acknowledge the Sesevitam, the first people of this ancestral and unceded territory of Sesevenga — which is now occupied by the university. It honors their elders, past and present, and the Sesevitam descendants, who are citizens of the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians. We recognize that the Sesevitam are still here, and we are committed to lifting up their stories, culture, and community.
On weekdays the San Fernando Valley is bustling with commuters, family-owned businesses, and 1.9 million people building their homes and their lives. On weekends, streets close for low-rider cruise nights, farmer’s markets, and more. School and church lots transform into festivals where families and friends gather throughout the year. Parks are filled with sports tournaments and play, and boulevards come alive with nightlife. 100 years ago the Valley was home to orange, lemon, and avocado groves. An agricultural community rooted in hard work that fed Angelenos and beyond. A century later the spirit of that community lives on in the Angelenos that call the San Fernando Valley their home. The Soraya sits just west of the last of the orange groves, a testament to our community’s history and a commitment to its future.
Who We Serve
Multicultural and multigenerational. Family day and date-night. Somewhere new and somewhere to call home. Students and community members alike peak their intellectual curiosity and open their world to new cultures by attending a performance. The Soraya welcomes anyone who comes to our doors to share an armrest with their neighbor and experience the world come alive onstage.
The Soraya also serves the artists who grace the stage with their craft. To us, they are part of the team. We work with them from months to years in advance to fine tune their performance—and we share in the glory of their success. Like our audience, performers are multicultural and multigenerational – and whether they’re here for the first or their hundredth time, they are home at The Soraya.