PRESS RELEASES
| Emmy-Winning Composer Adrian Younge Debuts Something About April at The Soraya's Inaugural LA Seen Festival
Self-taught multi-instrumentalist and Emmy Award-winning composer Adrian Younge will debut the concert experience of his vinyl psychedelic soul trilogy Something About April with a 35-piece orchestra, including 25 of CSUN’s best instrumentalists, on April 17. The concert is part of The Soraya’s inaugural LA Seen festival, a monthlong series of programs dedicated to the performing arts in Los Angeles.
| Terence Blanchard Premieres His Highlights From Two Operas at The Soraya
On April 6, eight-time GRAMMY© winner Terence Blanchard will return to The Soraya to present newly orchestrated highlights from his operas Fire Shut Up in My Bones and Champion.
| The Soraya Debut Of Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández
The renowned Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández will make their Soraya debut March 14-15, showcasing Mexico’s regional beauty through mariachi, folkloric dance, and traditional arts.
| The Soraya Launches LA SEEN FESTIVAL A Monthlong Series of Programs Dedicated to the Performing Arts in Los Angeles
Beginning on Sunday, April 6, The Soraya will unveil its newest programming initiative, the LA Seen festival, a monthlong series of programs dedicated to shining the spotlight on the performing arts in Los Angeles. For more than a decade, Los Angeles artists have had a home at The Soraya. They are standouts throughout the seasons, performing original works, undertaking first-time collaborations, and rising to new heights.
| YAMATO: the Drummers of Japan Return to The Soraya with New Program 人の力 Hito no Chikara – The Power of Human Strength
From Jan. 16 through March 29 YAMATO: The Drummers of Japan will tour North America with their new show, Hito no Chikara – The Power of Human Strength. Yamato will perform at The Soraya at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 22. The “simply captivating” (The Evening Post) Taiko troupe has reached nearly 8 million people globally in over 4,000 performances throughout their thirty-two-year history, adding to that number this season with seven performances in Canada; and 29 venues throughout the United States from New England to California.
| Twyla Tharp Dance: 60th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee
Revolutionary choreographer Twyla Tharp celebrates her 60th year as a dance maker with a national tour that offers audiences a breathtaking vista of her range as an icon in American dance.
| The Soraya Announces Select Highlights of the 2025-26 Season!
Last week, on the occasion of The Soraya’s anniversary, Executive and Artistic Director Thor Steingraber announced select highlights for the upcoming 2025-26 Season, which will once again feature performances from every genre, including jazz, dance, Broadway, chamber and orchestral music, and LA’s foremost performance series of Spanish-language artists.
| LA’s Premier Winter Jazz Festival Returns for its Fourth Season, Feb 1-20, 2025
The Soraya’s signature festival, Jazz at Naz, returns on Feb. 1 for a month of extraordinary performances from legendary masters such as 2024 Kennedy Center Honoree Arturo Sandoval and Chucho Valdés, to up-and-coming star saxophonist and five-time GRAMMY nominee Lakecia Benjamin, and current jazz masters Christian McBride and Jason Moran. Performances take place on both The Soraya’s Great Hall mainstage with several performances onstage in the intimate only-at-The-Soraya Jazz Club — where audiences can enjoy food and wine along with fantastic jazz artists performing just a few feet away.
| Create Lasting Memories in 2025 with Soraya Events for All Ages!
The new year at The Soraya begins with international percussion sensation STOMP, with three performances on Sat & Sun, Jan. 18 & 19, and continues later this season with additional family-friendly events Yamato: The Drummers of Japan, and Defying Gravity: An Evening with Stephen Schwartz and friends.