PRESS RELEASES
| The Nazarian Family Announces the Fund for Artistic Innovation to Honor the Legacy of Thor Steingraber
The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) announced today the launch of a new initiative to honor the legacy of Executive and Artistic Director Thor Steingraber as he concludes his 12-year leadership of the institution currently celebrating its 15th anniversary. With key philanthropic leadership support from the Younes & Soraya Nazarian Family Foundation and Milt and Debbie Valera, the Thor Steingraber Fund for Artistic Innovation will underwrite high-quality, original public performances that exemplify The Soraya’s artistic leadership and profile, preserving and perpetuating its commitment to new works, commissions, premieres, and major programs in scale or scope.
| Nochebuena: A Christmas Spectacular Returns to The Soraya for its 10th Celebration Featuring Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles and Mariachi Pueblo Viejo with Special Guest Ximena Sariñana
The family tradition of attending a Soraya holiday event continues in the 2025-26 Season as The Soraya marks the 10th edition of Nochebuena with an extended schedule leading into the holidays. Nochebuena: A Christmas Spectacular will begin with two performances on Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.; Dec. 21 at 2 p.m., and Dec. 22 at 2 p.m. Nochebuena: A Christmas Spectacular features Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles and Mariachi Pueblo Viejo with special guest vocalist Ximena Sariñana.
| GRAMMY Winner Gregory Porter Opens The Soraya’s Holiday Series
The time-honored tradition of attending a Soraya holiday event continues in the 2025-26 Season, as The Soraya continues its 15th Anniversary celebrations. Festive events for the season begin with GRAMMY®-winning jazz singer/songwriter Gregory Porter (Dec. 6) and continue with The Klezmatics (Dec. 7), the Christian Sands Quartet (Dec. 12-13), and four performances of the favorite Soraya Original Production, Nochebuena: A Christmas Spectacular, performed by Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles and Mariachi Pueblo Viejo with special guest Ximena Sariñana (Dec. 20-22).
| The Soraya’s Resident Dance Company Ballet BC Returns with Ravel’s Boléro Reimagined in Shahar Binyamini’s BOLERO X, SWAY by Artistic Director Medhi Walerski, and a new work by Sofia Nappi
The Soraya continues its 2025-26 Season dance series with the return of resident company Ballet BC, presenting Shahar Binyamini’s BOLÉRO X, SWAY by Medhi Walerski, and a new work by Sofia Nappi that will make its U.S. debut at The Soraya. Medhi Walerski, artistic director of Ballet BC, will also be available for press interviews upon request and approval by the company.
| Portuguese Fado Singer Mariza Makes Her Debut at The Soraya on Nov. 6, in the Music Knows No Borders Series
The celebrated Music Knows No Borders series for the 2025-26 Season gets underway on Thursday, Nov. 6 when Portuguese fado singer Mariza makes her debut at The Soraya.
| FLY ME TO THE MOON: A TRIBUTE TO QUINCY JONES Featuring the Pacific Jazz Orchestra with special guests Ms. Lisa Fischer and José James
The Soraya will pay homage to the giant of American music, Quincy Jones, on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 8 p.m. The concert, featuring vocalists Ms. Lisa Fisher and José James, will be led by Chris Walden as conductor of his Pacific Jazz Orchestra’s 17-piece big band. This carefully curated concert will celebrate the artist’s work from the 1960’s to 1978, immersing audiences in the quintessential sounds of Quincy Jones.
| The Soraya Launches its 2025-26 Classical Music Series with the Colburn Orchestra on Sunday, Oct. 26 at 3 p.m.
Acclaimed for its passion, exuberance, and virtuosity, The Colburn Orchestra will return to The Soraya for the opening of the 2025-26 Classical Series on Sunday afternoon, October 26. Mexican conductor and GRAMMY Award-winner Carlos Miguel Prieto takes the podium in The Soraya’s tradition of presenting major figures of the orchestral world conducting the flagship orchestra from the Colburn Conservatory of Music. As an influential cultural leader, Maestro Prieto is a champion of new music and music education, and for the occasion here, he has chosen a program that highlights the talents of the next generation of classical musicians.
| Escape the Outside World and Fly Down the Rabbit Hole when The Soraya Presents MOMIX’s Newest Production Alice
Get ready to fall down the rabbit hole, Los Angeles! The internationally acclaimed dance-illusionist company MOMIX is bringing their mesmerizing production, ALICE, a magical journey inspired by a classic, to The Soraya for one performance only on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 3 p.m.
| GRAHAM100 The Soraya Presents the Culmination of a Three-Season Celebration of the Martha Graham Dance Company’s 100th Anniversary
The final season of Martha Graham Dance Company’s (MGDC) three-year centennial celebration premieres at The Soraya with three monumental pieces: The World Premiere of En Masse; Graham’s 1947 Night Journey with music by William Schuman, a rarely seen work based on Oedipus; and We the People, by choreographer Jamar Roberts with a folk score by Rhiannon Giddens, a 2024 creation inspired by Graham’s longstanding sociopolitical critique.