PRESS RELEASES
April 17, 2024 | Chris Walden Leads the 40-Piece Pacific Jazz Orchestra with Tony Award-Winning Aaron Tveit Making His Debut at The Soraya!
Tveit’s debut comes less than one week after his starring role in Broadway’s revival of Sweeney Todd. Fresh from his leading role in Broadway’s revival of Sweeney Todd, Tony award-winning Aaron Tveit comes to The Soraya for one night only on Saturday, May 11 as Chris Walden and The Pacific Jazz Orchestra take center stage for an unforgettable night of Broadway, jazz and American standards music.
April 17, 2024 | Two Pillars of the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts History Honored at Benefit Concert and Dinner
Joshua Bell and Academy of St Martin in the Fields Headlined the Performance to Celebrate $2.5 Million Endowment for the New Jolene Koester Arts Education Endowment Fund, launched on April 4
April 15, 2024 | The Soraya Announces New Sound System By L-Acoustics
On April 30 The Soraya will unveil an all-new sound system by L-Acoustics, the industry leader in premium sound technologies used around the world in the largest festival stages and venues, such as NFL Super Bowl Performances, Coachella, and prominent local performance venues such as the Hollywood Bowl.
April 2, 2024 | Chicano Performance Troupe Culture Clash Celebrates 40th Anniversary at The Soraya With New Show May the 40th Be With You
Guest performers include actors Sabina Zúñiga Varela and Kirk Ward,comedians Frankie Quińones, Marcella Arguello, and Rudy Moreno, musical group Los Tres Perdidos with Vanessa Calderon, and more.
March 25, 2024 | Joshua Bell Makes his Ninth Soraya Appearance, Will Lead Academy of St Martin in the Fields
The ever-popular Academy of St Martin in the Fields, under the musical direction of renowned violin soloist Joshua Bell, returns to The Soraya with a program offering operatic highlights from Rossini and Mozart, plus symphonic work by Brahms, Mendelssohn and Saint-Saëns.
February 12, 2024 | Classical Nights Continue at The Soraya with the Debut of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Led by Nathalie Stutzmann, Music Director Featuring Pianist Haochen Zhang
Nathalie Stutzmann broke the gender barrier at the very pinnacle of classical music when she became only the second woman in history to lead a major American orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Now, in a program featuring Beethoven and Dvořák, Stutzmann — the orchestra’s Music Director, leads Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73, Emperor, known for being one of Beethoven’s most demanding works, featuring Van Cliburn gold medal award-winning pianist Haochen Zhang. The concert also features Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 in E minor, From the New World.
January 29, 2024 | The Third-Annual Jazz at Naz Festival’s Jazz Club Returns with Local Chef at Helm of Dining
Chef Jim Bonanno promises meals filled with local flare, creativity, and ties to the roots of each artist. Jazz at Naz Begins Jan. 27 and runs through Feb. 10, with three main stage concerts and four concerts hosted in the intimate and unique onstage Jazz Club. Jazz fans around the world can enjoy Jazz at Naz via livestream, with a Jazz Pass ($19 for one concert) or Discover Jazz Virtual Pass ($49 for all four concerts)! In-person and online tickets on sale now at TheSoraya.org.
January 11, 2024 | The Hecho en las Américas Series Continues with LEYENDAS DEL MARIACHI
The Soraya’s Hecho en Las Américas Series returns on Thursday, Jan. 25 for a spectacular one-night-only event — Leyendas del Mariachi. The all-new band brings together the most famous and distinguished mariachi of the past three decades and makes its United States debut for this event at The Soraya. Legendary members from Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, Mariachi Los Camperos, Mariachi Cobre, and Mariachi América de Jesús Rodríguez de Hijar take The Soraya’s Great Hall stage together as one for a performance that promises to be an inspiration for generations music lovers.
January 10, 2024 | Classical Nights at The Soraya Continue with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | Featuring Rising Star Pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason;
Vasily Petrenko, Conductor and Music Director
The Soraya’s Classical Series continues on Jan. 21, 2024 with the return of The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) under the music direction of conductor Vasily Petrenko and featuring in-demand pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason who will perform Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto, a work that also appears on Kanneh-Mason’s 2019 critically acclaimed debut recording. RPO also performs Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, Pathétique, which debuted in 1893 just nine days before the composer’s death.
January 8, 2024 | The Third-Annual Jazz at Naz Festival Returns with Seven Concerts in the Great Hall and the Onstage Jazz Club
Fast to be recognized as one of the best winter jazz festivals on the West Coast, the third-annual Jazz at Naz Festival features an all-star lineup of the finest musicians in both The Soraya’s Great Hall and its innovative onstage Jazz Club—a unique and intimate setting for jazz performances hosted directly on The Soraya’s stage with less than 300 seats available.
December 19, 2023 | The Soraya Presents the World Premiere of DIAVOLO: Existencia, 30 Years After the Northridge Earthquake
On January 17, 2024, DIAVOLO, Architecture in Motion, and The Soraya will present the world premiere of Existencia, a new work to commemorate the 30 years since the Northridge Earthquake struck California State University Northridge (CSUN), in 1994 — and event which was said to have been the worst natural disaster ever to hit a university campus in the United States.
November 28, 2023 | Mark Howard’s Trinity Irish Dance Company Premieres A Very Irish Christmas at The Soraya
The unique power and grace of Chicago’s internationally-renowned Trinity Irish Dance Company (TIDC) comes to The Soraya with an exclusive holiday performance. “Sophisticated and commanding” (Los Angeles Times) and “impossibly complex” (The New York Times), the company is the birthplace of progressive Irish Dance, an innovative movement genre that “ushered in a new era for Irish step dance” (Chicago Tribune).
November 22, 2023 | Celebrate the Holidays at The Soraya!
Celebrating the holidays at The Soraya has become a tradition for families across the greater Los Angeles region. With a wide variety of offerings for members of all families — including the increasingly popular Nochebuena: A Christmas Spectacular — The Soraya’s festive celebration spans across nine performances by five artists.
November 12, 2023 | The Soraya Welcomes Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens in LA premiere of the “American Railroad” Project
GRAMMY Award-winning Silkroad Ensemble brings its multi-year project, American Railroad, to The Soraya on Sun, Nov 12 at 7pm followed by a 6pm free community event on Mon, Nov 13 at LA’s historic Union Station.
November 3, 2023 | JUST ANNOUNCED: GRAMMY-winning Samara Joy adds second show to The Soraya’s Holiday Series
Bridging the jazz and gospel gap, Joy brings her multi-generational family act to Northridge following the release of her latest album “A Joyful Holiday.
October 31, 2023 | Two Nights of Classical Music at The Soraya!
The Soraya’s 2023/2024 Season continues in November with two extraordinary nights of classical music — Esa-Pekka Salonen returns to The Soraya to conduct the Colburn Orchestra on Sat, Nov 4 at 8pm, followed by the astonishing violinist Midori performing with Festival Strings Lucerne on Thu, Nov 9 at 8pm.
October 2, 2023 | The Soraya Welcomes the Return of Seven-Time
GRAMMY Award-winning Mexican American singer/songwriter Lila Downs with “Dos Corazones: Día de Muertos” featuring Ballet Folklórico
The Soraya’s Hecho en Las Américas Series returns for its eighth season, premiering on Saturday, October 14 with the incomparable Lila Downs’ Dos Corazones: Día de Muertos.
September 18, 2023 | Tony Award-Winning Dance Legend Savion Glover Returns to The Soraya with SoUNDz’ SaCRoSaNcT
Savion Glover is in a league of his own. He is part philosopher and part poet. With his new piece, SoUNDz’ SaCRoSaNcT, he might also be considered a memoirist, that is, with a memoir in movement. SoUNDz’ SaCRoSaNcT is not only a psychological portrait of his own life on stage and off but it also pays homage to his friend and mentor Gregory Hines, as well as the other great “hoofers” of the preceding generation.
September 7, 2023 | GRAHAM100, a Three-Year Celebration of the Martha Graham Centenary Premieres at The Soraya!
The Soraya opens its 2023-24 season with a history- making performance featuring the nation’s oldest dance company. The Martha Graham Dance Company turns 100 and launches its three-year centennial celebration at The Soraya on Saturday, September 30, a celebration that will subsequently travel to theaters around the nation and be celebrated worldwide.
September 1, 2023 | Tiler Peck Announces Turn It Out with Tiler Peck and Friends Tour A California Homecoming with U.S. debut of new show
After a sold-out world premiere in New York City and a European debut in London, award-winning American ballerina Tiler Peck, will bring her critically acclaimed show, Turn It Out with Tiler Peck and Friends, to her home state of California this fall.
Jul 24, 2023 | The Philadelphia Orchestra Replaced By Atlanta Symphony Orchestra For Spring 2024 California Tour
Due to unforeseen circumstances, The Philadelphia Orchestra has canceled all scheduled appearances in California in spring 2024. The Philadelphia Orchestra was scheduled to tour with pianist Haochen Zhang under the direction of its principal guest conductor Nathalie Stutzmann. Instead, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra—for which Stutzmann serves as music director—has been secured to replace The Philadelphia Orchestra for the tour, with the conductor and soloist to remain unchanged.
Jun 20, 2023 | JUST ANNOUNCED— GRAMMY-winning Samara Joy bridges the jazz and gospel gap, bringing multi-generational family act to The Soraya’s Holiday Series
Samara Joy returns to The Soraya for a second time in 2023— this time with her multi-generational musical family fusing her jazz and gospel talents for an allnew soulful holiday concert following her sold-out Soraya debut, shared with big band Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra in The Soraya’s acclaimed Jazz at Naz Festival.
Jun 12, 2023 | Opening Night’s Graham100 Begins a Three-Year Celebration of the Martha Graham Legacy
The nation’s oldest dance company turns 100, and The Soraya kicks off its 2023-24 Season with the official launch of a three-year collaborative celebration with Martha Graham Dance Company just weeks after its announcement of world- wide activities.
May 5, 2023 | The Soraya Celebrates Delirium Musicum’s Warner Classics release of “Seasons,” recorded at The Soraya
In a fitting finale to Étienne Gara’s two-years as The Soraya’s Artist-in-Residence, two back-to-back concerts will serve as the “album release party” for “Seasons.” The Warner Classics release is Gara’s and his innovative musical ensemble Delirium Musicum’s debut album and was recorded at The Soraya.
Mar 28, 2023 | Just Announced! “The Soraya at the Luckman” Indigo Girls in Their Only LA Appearance; Sat, Jun 24
One of the most successful folk-rock duos in history, Indigo Girls, comes to Los Angeles for one night only on Saturday, June 24 at The Luckman Fine Arts Complex in unique presenting partnership with The Soraya at Cal State Northridge.
Mar 21, 2023 | Celebrating Rachmaninoff 150, Firebrand Pianist Conrad Tao Explores Rachmaninoff’s Work and Influence on American Music
American pianist Conrad Tao is shaping the future of classical music through his rich and unique interpretations of the Classical Canon. For his debut appearance at The Soraya on Thu, Apr 6 at 8pm, Tao pairs American works that inspired or were inspired by Rachmaninoff—from Billy Strayhorn, Art Tatum, Irving Berlin, to Stephen Sondheim.
Mar 13, 2023 | The Soraya Presents the World Premiere of “Invocations” Composed and Performed by Serj Tankian With CSUN Symphony Orchestra and Special Guests
With a vocal range over four octaves, CSUN alumnus Serj Tankian is considered one of the greatest vocalists in Rock Metal history and best known for fronting the popular band System Of A Down. The songwriter, poet, painter, producer, and political activist returns to The Soraya on Sat, Apr 29 at 8pm to perform vocals on his new suite of compositions, “Invocations”— music that calls on spirits to co-inspire or inter-inspire.
Mar 6, 2023 | Jazz at Naz Continues in March with Sax Legend Charles Lloyd’s 85th Birthday Celebration and Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra featuring Samara Joy—GRAMMY Award Winner Best New Artist 2023 and Best Jazz Vocal Album
The Soraya’s monthlong Jazz at Naz Festival rolls into March this year with two masters of the musical genre—the elder statesman sax legend Charles Lloyd celebrates his 85th birthday on March 18 with an all-star lineup, and the 2023 GRAMMY Award winning Best New Artist Samara Joy makes her debut at The Soraya with Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra on March 26. Both concerts will be Live Streamed from The Soraya’s Great Hall for just $19 each.
Feb 14, 2023 | The Soraya Celebrates the 30th Anniversary of Yamato—The Drummers of Japan
Yamato, the Drummers of Japan, returns to The Soraya with a thrilling, high-energy, and explosive interpretation of the centuries old Taiko tradition. Hinotori: The Wings of Phoenix, is a new production created to celebrate the company’s historic 30th Anniversary.
Feb 10, 2023 | Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra featuring Samara Joy—GRAMMY Award Winner Best New Artist 2023 and Best Jazz Vocal Album Rescheduled to Sun, Mar 26 at 7pm
The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra featuring Samara Joy scheduled for Saturday, February 11, has been rescheduled to Sunday, March 26, 2023 at 7pm.
“Following one of the most incredible weeks of my life, I’m now under the weather. Although I’m going to be just fine in a week or so, based on doctor’s orders, we are going to have to postpone my concert this Saturday at The Soraya – NEW DATE: MARCH 26th” Samara Joy said in a recent social media post.
Feb 7, 2023 | SOLD OUT — Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra featuring Samara Joy—GRAMMY Award Winner Best New Artist 2023 and Best Jazz Vocal Album
In her first appearance after her double wins at this past Sunday’s GRAMMY Awards, rising Jazz phenom Samara Joy’s concert with the Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra has sold out at The Soraya. Jazz fans eager to experience Ms. Joy’s stunning vocals can still attend the concert, however, via the Jazz at Naz Festival livestream for just $19!
Feb 2, 2023 | Filharmonie Brno Performs an All-Czech Program— Dvořák, Janáček, and Martinů with Dennis Russell Davies, Chief Conductor and Artistic Director
The pastoral landscape and folklore of Eastern Europe and America are brought to life through the music of three of the greatest Czech composers – Dvořák, Janáček, and Martinů – performed by the Czech Republic’s own Filharmonie Brno under the baton of Chief Conductor and Artistic Director Dennis Russell Davies.
Jan 25, 2023 | Visionary Choreographer Kyle Abraham and A.I.M. Join Forces with Electronic Music Composer Jlin for a Los Angeles Premiere
Mozart’s unfinished Requiem is the jumping off point for MacArthur Genius Kyle Abraham and pioneering producer, composer, and EDM artist Jlin’s latest collaboration, Requiem: Fire in the Air of the Earth. Combining traditions and innovations in both dance and music, they explore folklore, death, and reincarnation in a powerful piece that demands the dancers have command of techniques ranging from ballet to street dance.
Dec 12, 2022 | The Soraya’s Classical Programming for 2023
The New Year will usher in a new season of classical music performances to the stage of The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) on the campus of Cal State Northridge. The Soraya puts the spotlight on West Coast and world premieres, star soloists, world renowned orchestras, and intimate chamber music that will reverberate within the walls of The Soraya’s pristine acoustics.
Dec 9, 2022 | In need of some last-minute holiday recipe help? Alton Brown has you covered!
With the clock ticking away and time running short, are you still looking for the perfect green bean casserole for your holiday table? Not to worry—culinary whiz Alton Brown has you covered with a recipe that’s sure to impress even the toughest food fan. What’s his favorite holiday recipe? Perhaps his Cooked Nog, dusted with a dash of freshly grated nutmeg to get you through all your holiday parties. For more suggestions from the master himself, join The Soraya Dec. 17 at 7pm for Alton Brown Live! Beyond The Eats—The Holiday Variant. Quite possibly the most unusual (and dare we say fun) holiday celebration in Los Angeles this season!
Nov 1, 2022 | The Soraya Presents the Music of Inon Zur featuring Pianist Emily Bear and the World Premiere of the Suite from Syberia: The World Before
An extraordinary evening of other-worldly music awaits audiences as The Soraya presents the works of award-winning Israeli-American composer Inon Zur. Under the direction of conductor Dr. Noreen Green, the LA Jewish Symphony will take audiences on a cosmic journey as they travel through Inon Zur’s video game scores, including the World Premiere performance of the Suite from Syberia: The World Before, featuring GRAMMY and Emmy Award-winning pianist Emily Bear.
Oct 25, 2022 | The Soraya Presents An Acoustic Evening with Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt
Two of America’s most prolific songwriters of any generation—Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt—bring their unique blend of musical artistry to The Soraya on Wednesday, November 9 at 8pm.
Oct 24, 2022 | The Soraya Produces a Musical Celebration of Dolores Huerta!
Si, se puede. Three words that inspired a movement and defined the legacy of civil rights icon and American living legend Dolores Huerta. On Sunday, Nov 13 at 7 pm, the Younes and Soraya Center for the Performing Arts will honor her with Concierto para Dolores: A Musical Tribute to Dolores Huerta, a one-night celebration of the social justice trailblazer.
Oct 21, 2022 | The Soraya Presents Israel Philharmonic with Lahav Shani
An evening of firsts –the Israel Philharmonic makes a historic Soraya debut of new music director Lahav Shani who inherited the role from Los Angeles’ beloved Zubin Mehta. Maestro Shani will provide The Soraya another milestone –the first ever Mahler symphony to resound in the Great Hall.
Oct 18, 2022 | The Soraya Welcomes Back Soweto Gospel Choir
Three-time Grammy Award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir returns to The Soraya with an all-new concert, HOPE—It’s Been a Long Time Coming, Songs from the Great African and American Struggle, a timely program honoring artists who have struggled for civil rights and social justice in the U.S. and South Africa. Rousing freedom songs mix with music by Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, Harry Belafonte, Mahalia Jackson, and others, combined with traditional African gospel music and from the American Civil Rights Movement.
Oct 10, 2022 | Hecho en Las Américas Continues at The Soraya with Luis Enrique + C4 Trío with Special Guest Nella
The Soraya brings together the sounds of Nicaragua and Venezuela for a special one-night only pairing of the Grammy Award-winning artists Luis Enrique +C4 Tríowith special guest Nella. Acclaimed for taking the Venezuelan four-string cuatro international, “El Príncipe de la Salsa,” Luis Enrique will be joined by C4 Tríoto headline the evening. The night will be extraordinaryas it will mark the Los Angeles debut of Nella, the 2019 Latin Grammy Award Best New Artist.
Oct 4, 2022 | Aída Cuevas Launches Hecho en Las Américas at The Soraya
Aída Cuevas, “The Queen of Ranchera Music” commemorates the 45th anniversary of her career as she returns to her Los Angeles familia at The Soraya for the fourth time to perform Yo Creo Que Es Tiempo, a spectacular retrospective of her most beloved songs and greatest hits including favorites such as El Pastor, México en la Piel, Te Doy Las Gracias, and Quizás Mañana.
Oct 4, 2022 | The Soraya Welcomes Cuba’s Legendary Malpaso Dance Company
Cuba’s celebrated Malpaso Dance Company comes to The Soraya for the first time on Thursday, Oct. 13 with three major pieces that capture the soul of the island nation, its aspirations, and its proud cultural identity alike. In its “Signature Series” style, The Soraya once again brings live music together with dance as Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble perform “24 Hours and a Dog” for the company which was created by Malpaso Artistic Director Osnel Delgado.
Oct 4, 2022 | The Soraya Joins Forces with The New York Times at “A New Climate”
The New York Times will host “A New Climate,” a live in-person event on Wednesday, October 12 at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco. The Soraya’s Executive and Artistic Director Thor Steingraber and composer and environmentalist Gabriella Smith join tech leaders, engineers, storytellers, musicians, and food innovators to participate in the day-long event which will preview extended excerpts of each of The Soraya’s Treelogy’s three musical pieces ahead of its official world premiere in February 2023. “A New Climate” participants include Brad Smith, President and Vice Chair of Microsoft; Linda Zhang, Chief Engineer at Ford Motors; and Ethan Brown, Founder and CEO of Beyond Meat, amongst others.
Sep 22, 2022 | The Soraya’s Jazz at Naz Festival Returns!
The Soraya’s Jazz at Naz festival returns for a second year with five nights of the best of Jazz performances kicking off on February 2 with Christian McBride’s “The Movement Revisited,” celebrating heroes of the Civil Rights movement during Black History Month. Four more February performances follow – two in The Soraya’s Great Hall, with its pristine acoustics, and two nights of performances in the intimate onstage Jazz Club.
Sep 19, 2022 | The Soraya da la bienvenida a Hecho en Las Américas
La popular serie Hecho en Las Américas con participación de artistas de México, Cuba, Colombia, Venezuela, Nicaragua y Estados Unidos regresa por séptima vez para la temporada 2022-23, mientras The Soraya continúa brindando un hogar en el Valle de San Fernando para hispanoparlantes, y artistas y audiencias latinoamericanas de Los Ángeles.
Sep 16, 2022 | Hecho En Las Américas
The popular Hecho en Las Américas series featuring artists from Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and the United States, returns for the 2022-23 season for the seventh time as The Soraya continues to provide a home in the San Fernando Valley for Los Angeles’ Spanish-speaking and Latin American artists and audiences.
Sep 1, 2022 | The Soraya Celebrates Its 2022-23 Season Opening Night
The Soraya kicks off its 2022-23 season with the celebrated sounds of four Jazz legends—tenor saxophonist and composer Joshua Redman, pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Brian Blade —all trailblazers of the Jazz genre. A MoodSwing Reunion promises to be an unforgettable Signature Series performance, a once-in-a-generation celebration of the 30th anniversary of the release of MoodSwing—the recording that changed jazz forever.
Jun 22, 2022 | The Soraya Presents the World Premiere of Treelogy
For thousands of years, California’s ancient forests stood as symbols of permanence. But the fierce wildfires that ravaged the state the last two years jeopardize the existence of these mighty trees, which are among the longest-living organisms on Earth.
In response to this threat, and as a call to action, the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts’ Executive and Artistic Director Thor Steingraber commissioned three contemporary composers—Billy Childs, Steven Mackey, and Gabriella Smith—each with deep roots in California and each with their own original musical voice to create Treelogy, new compositions to honor three of the trees most in danger. LA’s prolific multi-genre composer Billy Childs will honor the giant sequoias; Grammy Award-winning guitarist and educator Steven Mackey reflects on the endangered coastal redwoods; and San Francisco Bay Area environmentalist and composer Gabriella Smith pays tribute to the disappearing Joshua trees.
Jun 10, 2022 | Tickets for The Soraya’s 2022-23 Signature Series Now on Sale to Members!
The Soraya continues to rollout news of its 2022-23 season following the recent announcement of its Premium Classical Series lineup. Now, tickets for the Signature Series are available to Members only through July 11, and will be available to the general public on July 12. The Soraya’s Signature Series of popular, Jazz, dance and select classical music events conveys the very soul of the company’s programming mission to produce and present diverse, unexpected, thought-provoking, and unique artists and art forms.
May 9, 2022 | Premium Classical Subscriptions on Sale Now thru May 24 ONLY
Subscription tickets to the 2022-23 Premium Classical Series of seven extraordinary concerts are on sale now through May 24 at The Soraya.org. Only Premium Classical Series subscribers will be guaranteed tickets to the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra concert on Saturday, November 5 at 8pm.
“Geopolitics and other circumstances have changed many things related to orchestra touring this year, and in response we have the opportunity to engage artists we may not have otherwise presented,” said Thor Steingraber, Executive and Artistic Director of the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts. “The result this season provides greater breadth among classical artists than we’ve had in previous seasons.”
April 30, 2021 | Rising Classical Music Star Étienne Gara Named Artist in Residence
One of the most promising new stars of classical music, Étienne Gara, violinist, and founder and artistic director of Delirium Musicum, has been named Soraya’s next Artist in Residence. To commence the two-year residency, The Soraya embarks on an epic journey by presenting MusiKaravan, a series of short films beginning May 6 at thesoraya.org, that follow Gara and fellow violinist YuEun Gemma Kim on a pandemic road trip as they safely spread music and joy, and celebrate the people who are “working hard to feed us physically and emotionally with quality products.”
April 30, 2021 | The Soraya embarks on an epic road trip with MusiKaravan!
Fasten your seatbelts as The Soraya is about to embark on a journey with MusiKaravan! the first project by The Soraya’s next Artist in Residence, violinist and founder of Delirium Musicum, Étienne Gara. Like many musicians facing the global pandemic, Étienne Gara and fellow violinist YuEun Gemma Kim – for the first time in their professional lives – found themselves with unlimited time and no performances on their schedules. So, for six months during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Étienne and YuEun lived out of their vintage 1971 Volkswagen van and performed socially-distanced concerts for farm workers, winemakers, random passersby, and even the occasional Ostrich.
Feb 5, 2020 | Step Afrika! Returns to The Soraya with the West Coast Premiere of Drumfolk Chronicling and Celebrating the African-American Experience in America
Step Afrika!’s high energy, full-bodied percussive dance returns to The Soraya for the West Coast premiere of Drumfolk, the Company’s 25th Anniversary production now on tour. Inspired by the Stono Rebellion of 1739, Drumfolk explores this little-known event in history that would forever transform African American life and culture. When Africans lost the right to use their drums, the beats found their way into the body of the people, the Drumfolk. New percussive forms took root leading to the development of some of our country’s most distinct performance traditions like ring shout, tap, and stepping.
Jan 29, 2020 | The International Percussion Sensation STOMP Returns to The Soraya for Three Performances
After sold out performances in 2016, The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts is proud to welcome back the international percussion sensation, STOMP, for three performances on Saturday, February 15 at 3:00pm and 8:00pm and Sunday, February 16 at 3:00pm.
Jan 27, 2020 | Legendary Singer and American Icon Mavis Staples with Special Guest Singer-Songwriter Son Little for One-Night Only Concert!
The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts and 88.5 FM present American icon and GRAMMY® Award-winner Mavis Staples for one-night only on Thursday, February 13 at 8:00pm. Mavis Staples also has the distinction of being in the Blues Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. GRAMMY® Award-winning producer and singer-songwriter Son Little will open for Staples.
Jan 23, 2020 | Luis Coronel y Leonardo Aguilar – Two Rising Stars of New Latin Music Join Forces for the First Time for One-Night Only Concert at The Soraya
Two of New Latin Music’s top rising stars — 23-year-old Luis Coronel and 20-year-old Leonardo Aguilar—team up for the first time ever for a one-night only not-to-be-missed 8:00pm concert on Saturday, February 8 at The Soraya at CSUN, Los Angeles’ top venue for Latin music.
Boxer turned singer, Tucson’s Luis Coronel is a social media phenomenon who catapulted to the top of the music charts in just a few short years and is now one of the most successful entertainers in Latin music.
Born in Mexico City, Leonardo Aguilar grew up surrounded by the tradition that his family generates. He is the grandson of two great legends of Mexican music: Don Antonio Aguilar and Dona Flor Silvestre. Twice nominated for a Latin GRAMMY, Leonardo is also the son of renowned Mexican American singer-songwriter Pepe Aguilar.
Jan 21, 2020 | Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Returns to The Soraya for the Beethoven 250th Anniversary Celebration!
The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts will present Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) for the third consecutive year on Friday, February 7 at 8:00pm. LACO’s new Music Director Jaime Martín will conduct the highly anticipated U.S. premiere of Albert Schnelzer’s Burn My Letters: Remembering Clara. The program also features Dvořák’s radiant Symphony No. 6 and renowned German violinist Christian Tetzlaff performing Beethoven’s Violin Concerto which continues The Soraya’s celebration of Beethoven’s 250th anniversary this season. Upcoming Beethoven performances also includes Pinchas Zukerman conducting Beethoven Symphony No. 7 with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Jan. 24), Joshua Bell conducting Beethoven Symphony No. 5 with Academy of St. Martin in the Fields (March 4), and Lahav Shani conducting Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 with Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra featuring pianist Nelson Freire (March 25).
Jan 17, 2020 | Two of Western North America’s Finest Dance Companies Offer Two Very Different Interpretations of Classic Ballet
The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts presents two very different works from two of the finest ballet companies in the western half of North America-Ballet West’s beautifully traditional production of Giselle, and Ballet BC’s stunningly reimagined take on the timeless tale of Romeo + Juliet.
Giselle is one of the most beloved and enduring cornerstones of classical ballet. Ballet West’s sumptuous production is conceived by Adam Sklute, the company’s artistic director, with choreography by Sklute after Jean Coralli and Julles Perrot. It will have a single performance on Tuesday, February 4 at 8:00pm. With a music score composed by Adolphe Adam, Ballet West’s Giselle is a lavish production, complete with a cast of more than 55 dancers, live animals, and opulent sets and costumes.
Jan 14, 2020 | The Soraya Presents the Legendary Ballet Folclórico Nacional de México de Silvia Lozano
The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts welcomes the legendary Ballet Folclórico Nacional de México de Silvia Lozano on Thursday, January 30, 2020 at 8pm. Acclaimed as one of the most exciting groups presenting authentic regional dances of Mexico, Ballet Folclórico Nacional is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the culture of Mexico.
Jan 7, 2020 | 25th Anniversary of Cirque Éloize Hotel
As part of The Soraya’s Family Fun series, The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts presents Hotel – the fifteenth show by the acclaimed Canadian troupe Cirque Éloize, now celebrating its 25th anniversary – for two performances only, January 25 and 26, 2020. Like Saloon presented last year at The Soraya, audiences will once again be amazed by and delight in powerful acrobatic feats in a light comic show, this time with a classic hotel setting.
Jan 3, 2020 | The Soraya’s Celebration of Beethoven’s 250th Birthday Continues with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts continues its Beethoven 250th celebration as it presents the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra featuring Pinchas Zukerman as Principal Guest Conductor and Violin Soloist on Friday, January 24, 2020 at 8pm.
With a celebrated career encompassing five decades, Pinchas Zukerman is one of the world’s most sought-after and versatile musicians, as a violin and viola soloist, conductor, and chamber musician. The 2019–20 season marks Zukerman’s eleventh as Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. His extensive discography includes more than 100 titles, for which he earned two GRAMMY® Awards and 21 nominations.
Dec 20, 2019 | Jason Moran Returns to The Soraya to Perform His Live Score of Ava Duvernay’s Groundbreaking Film Selma
Director Ava DuVernay’s Selma tells the story of the events leading up to Dr. Martin Luther King’s landmark 1965 march for voting rights – an event that forever changed history. In honor of Dr. King’s birthday and Black History Month, The Soraya will screen Selma on the large screen – with its score performed live by its composer, acclaimed jazz pianist Jason Moran – artistic director of Jazz at the Kennedy Center – with the New West Symphony conducted by Cheche Alara on Saturday, February 1 at 8:00pm at The Soraya.
Film Music Magazine noted about Moran’s astonishing first feature film score, “It’s an unstoppable sense of history-making that could perhaps only be captured by a musician so steeped in jazz and its cultural heritage.”
Dec 18, 2019 | Luciana Souza The Book of Longing Featuring Chino Pinheiro & Scott Colley
The Soraya’s intimate onstage Jazz Club welcomes GRAMMY® Winner Luciana Souza for two nights performing songs from her critically acclaimed album, The Book of Longing. Inspired by the poetry of Leonard Cohen, Brazilian-American vocal jazz veteran Souza explores the theme of saudade, or yearning, in this work. NPR music critic Michelle Mercer has said of Souza’s The Book of Longing, “[This is her] most graceful album…it’s one of her best yet.”
Nov 18, 2019 | YouTube Supergroup Voctave Celebrates The Spirit of the Season at The Soraya
Voctave, the YouTube sensation with over 100 million views, will bring its popular holiday show to The Soraya on Sunday, December 15 at 3:00 pm. With dynamically rich harmonies and pitch-perfect melodies, Voctave’s The Spirit of the Season is a holiday treat for the entire family. The Soraya’s 2019 holiday programming also includes Aspen Sante Fe Ballet’s The Nutcracker on December 7 & 8 and Nochebuena featuring Eugenia León, Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles, and Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar on December 14.
Nov 1, 2019 | The Soraya Presents the Los Angeles Premiere of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet’s Production of The Nutcracker
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet returns to The Soraya this holiday season with three performances of the classic ballet, The Nutcracker, on December 7 & 8. With Tchaikovsky’s original music, this storybook production, choreographed by ASFB executive director Jean-Phillippe Malaty and artistic director Tom Mossbrucker, is set in the Victorian era, beginning with the resplendent party and concluding with the fantastical scenes in the second act centered around a bright and colorful carousel.
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet’s exquisite dancers perform the leading roles, showing off their classical training. Over 70 children from Los Angeles Youth Ballet and students from USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance will round out the cast. Adding to the excitement, the traditional Russian, Spanish, and Chinese pieces will feature performers from around the globe who bring their traditional and authentic dances. Almost 100 performers are on stage for this production.
Oct 24, 2019 | Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts Is Honored with 2019 Ticketmaster Sustainability Award as CSUN Celebrates Sustainability Day on Thursday, October 24
The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) has been awarded the 2019 Ticketmaster Sustainability Award which was recently presented at the Ticketmaster Arts Summit. The Ticketmaster Award coincides with CSUN’s 11th annual Sustainability Day to be held on its campus this Thursday, October 24th from 9:30am to 4:45pm.
Oct 2, 2019 | America’s Premier Trio Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Continues the Beethoven’s 250th Celebration with Two Nights of All-Beethoven program
After four decades of world-wide success, including many award-winning recordings and newly commissioned works, the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio continues to dazzle audiences and critics alike with its performances. Now, America’s premier trio will celebrate Beethoven’s 250th anniversary with two nights at The Soraya performing several of the composer’s most beloved work as part of the intimate Onstage Sessions Chamber music series.
Sep 27, 2019 | The Soraya’s Onstage Jazz Club returns with Vocalist, Guitarist and Composer Camila Meza & The Nectar Orchestra with special guest musicians, wild Up
The Soraya’s intimate onstage Jazz Club returns for two special nights when the extraordinary Camila Meza takes to the stage performing with LA’s own wild Up, sitting in with The Nectar Orchestra. Downbeat Magazine said, “This triple threat from Santiago, Chile, had more to offer than just a beautiful voice, thoughtful lyrics and refreshing stage presence.”
Sep 26, 2019 | Mandy Gonzalez Brings “the Room Where It Happens” to The Soraya for an Evening of Broadway Music from Lin-Manuel Miranda to Stephen Schwartz
Mandy Gonzalez will “take a break” from playing Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton on Broadway for a rare Southern-California appearance at the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) on Saturday, October 26 at 8pm. Gonzalez will perform hits from Wicked, Hamilton, and more.
Sep 23, 2019 | Farruquito Internationally renowned composer, choreographer and flamenco dancer
The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) presents internationally renowned flamenco dancer Juan Manuel Fernandez Montoya “Farruquito” for one night only on Saturday, November 9 at 8:00pm. Heir to one of the most revered Gypsy flamenco dynasties in Spain, The New York Times said he is the “greatest flamenco dancer of this new century … he is one of today’s superlative dance artists.”
Sep 13, 2019 | Icon of Afro-Cuban Jazz Chucho Valdés Brings his band to play tracks from his newest release Jazz Batá 2 at The Soraya
Winner of six Grammy and three Latin Grammy Awards, Cuban pianist, composer and arranger, Chucho Valdés, is the most influential figure in modern Afro-Cuban jazz. Now, he will be performing tracks from his 2018 release Jazz Batá 2, inspired by his seminal record Jazz Batá, at the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, October 19 at 8pm.
Sep 4, 2019 | The Soraya Kicks Off Beethoven’s 250th Birthday with American Pianist Jonathan Biss Performing Two Nights
In the coming year, the classical music world celebrates the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth. The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts will explore the composer’s works, from his most iconic symphonies to the quieter piano solos with eight major performances slated throughout the 2019-20 Season. The Beethoven performances begin with Itzhak Perlman opening The Soraya season on Thursday, September 19 followed by pianist Jonathan Biss performing two evenings, Tuesday, October 15 and Wednesday, October 16.
Aug 28, 2019 | Marisol Hernandez—La Marisoul—Steps into the Spotlight at The Soraya!
Los Angeles’ own powerhouse vocalist Marisol Hernandez (aka La Marisoul) steps out on her own on Saturday, October 12 with a band of All-Stars to breathe new life into the most influential Mexican-American music of the past three generations. She promises tunes from Lalo Guerrero to Los Lobos, and she will bring special guest musicians from Los TexManiacs, California Feetwarmers, and more. The singer’s captivating voice has been heralded for her searing takes on love, loss, and heartbreak.
Aug 21, 2019 | OK Go bring The Live Video Tour to The Soraya—An All-Ages Live Arts & Music Event
The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) presents OK Go’s The Live Video Tour on November 2 and 3. On The Live Video Tour the band points their beam of creativity at their stage show, once again ignoring boundaries and, in the process, inventing a new flavor of live entertainment.
Aug 15, 2019 | Soul Legend Bettye LaVette to Make Debut at The Soraya
The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) welcomes soul and blues legend Bettye LaVette to its stage for the first time on Sunday, October 6 at 7:00pm. With a career spanning over fifty years, LaVette gets inside a song and shapes and twists it to convey all the emotion that can be wrought from the lyric.
Aug 14, 2019 | The Fab Faux returns to The Soraya to play Abbey Road in its entirety—Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of this iconic album plus a Set of Fan Favorites
Consummate fan favorites, The Fab Faux will return to The Soraya for the fourth time to pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ landmark album, Abbey Road along with the Hogshead Horns and The Crème Tangerine Strings. The Fab Faux’s first set of the night will be a string of their fan favorites. The second set will be the phenomenal record, Abbey Road, in album order. Rolling Stone senior editor David Fricke calls The Fab Faux “The greatest Beatles cover band – without the wigs…The Faux invigorate the artistry of even the Beatles’ most intricate studio masterpieces with top chops and Beatlemaniac glee.”
Jul 31, 2019 | The Passionate Sound of Tango is Brought to Life by Quinteto Piazzolla at The Soraya
The soul-stirring sound of tango in its most authentic form comes to The Soraya, brought directly to Los Angeles by Laura Escalada Piazzolla, the wife of the late maestro Astor Piazzolla, on Thursday, October 3 at 8pm. Formed by the Argentinian composer during the ’60s, the quintet caused a sensation with its provocative performances which elevated the earthy, sensual sound of tango to a sophisticated high art. After the composer’s death, the ensemble carried on the legacy with five virtuoso soloists capable of interpreting the vast body of work left by Piazzolla. The upcoming Revolucionario Tour, named after their recent album, will play throughout the Americas, Asia, and Europe.
Feb 25, 2019 | Violins of Hope—A Month-Long Series of Concerts, Exhibitions & Arts Education Program
Four symphonic orchestras, a major heritage museum and one of Los Angeles’ leading performing arts centers will join forces in 2020 for an ambitious collaborative initiative that will bring to life the sounds of music once lost.
Violins of Hope is an internationally renowned project created to celebrate the triumph of the human spirit. At the heart of Violins of Hope is a collection of over 60 stringed instruments rescued from the Holocaust and restored by second-generation violinmaker, Amnon Weinstein, and his son, Avshalom in their shop in Tel Aviv.
Now, this unique collection will come to Los Angeles for the first time March 22 to April 26, 2020 for a month-long series of concerts, exhibits, and student educational programming at several Los Angeles cultural institutions. Each concert in the Violins of Hope series will feature performers and soloists using instruments from the Weinstein’s collection. Artist in Residence and Northridge native Niv Ashkenazi, the only individual musician in North American entrusted with one of the collection’s rescued violins, will take the storied instruments on a tour to Los Angeles area schools.
Oct 3, 2018 | Soaring at The Soraya! Valery Gergiev and the Illustrious Mariinsky Orchestra Return to The Soraya for a Rare All-Stravinsky Program
Continuing its mission to bring the best of the world’s symphonic orchestras to Los Angeles, the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts will present the Mariinsky Orchestra under the baton of Grammy Award-winning Music Director Valery Gergiev on Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 8pm.
Oct 3, 2018 | Soaring at The Soraya! Valery Gergiev and the Illustrious Mariinsky Orchestra Return to The Soraya for a Rare All-Stravinsky Program
Continuing its mission to bring the best of the world’s symphonic orchestras to Los Angeles, the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts will present the Mariinsky Orchestra under the baton of Grammy Award-winning Music Director Valery Gergiev on Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 8pm.
Sep 26, 2018 | Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts Celebrates the Legacy of Henry Mancini!
An American icon comes home. During the early years of his career, American composer, conductor and arranger Henry Mancini and his family lived not far from where California State University, Northridge campus now stands. On Saturday, October 13 at 8pm, Mancini’s music comes home to Northridge as The Soraya presents Moon River and the Music of Henry Mancini. Starring Monica Mancini with special guest three-time Tony-nominated Joshua Henry, Moon River and the Music of Henry Mancini features Gregg Field as Music Director and Chris Walden conducting the New West Symphony.
Sep 21, 2018 | Brazilian Music Legend Sergio Mendes Brings His Bossa Nova Sound to The Soraya
Sergio Mendes, “the man who put go-go boots on Brazilian music and brought it to the world,” (Billboard) will make a rare Los Angeles appearance when he brings his vivacious bossa nova to The Soraya on Saturday evening, October 27 at 8:00pm. A giant in his genre, Mendes has recorded more than 35 albums over a nearly six-decade career thus far. Joining him to open the evening will be French-Chilean singer Ana Tijoux who debuts her new project, Roja y Negro, new album of acoustic guitar celebrating Latin American folk music. With Mendes and Tijoux on stage, two generations of Latin American artists will share their passion both for traditional and popular music.
Sep 6, 2018 | Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts Celebrates Nelson Mandela’s 100th Birthday with the Grammy Award-winning Joyous South African Musical Ensemble
Soweto Gospel Choir, South Africa’s quintessential musical ensemble, brings a centenary celebration of the great freedom fighter and icon of reconciliation, Nelson Mandela, to The Soraya for Songs of the Free, a one-night only event on Sunday, Oct 7 at 7pm.
The Soweto Gospel Choir is a Grammy Award-winning group that has collaborated with some of the biggest names in music — including U2, John Legend, Peter Gabriel, and Diana Ross — and scored an Academy Award nomination for its work on the soundtrack to Pixar’s WALL-E. The 43-member choir, drawn from churches in and around Soweto, inspires audiences, sharing the joy of faith.
Aug 31, 2018 | 2018 Fall Media Advisory – Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts Presents its Fall 2018 Season!
Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts Presents its Fall 2018 Season.
Jun 19, 2018 | Tony and Olivier Award Winner LEA SALONGA Returns to The Soraya after a Sold-Out Debut
A household name since 1989 when she starred in Miss Saigon, Lea Salonga returns to The Soraya on Wednesday, May 22, 2019 after her sold-out debut in 2016. Recognized throughout the world for her powerful voice and perfect pitch, she will perform her Broadway hits, Disney film favorites, and an exciting array of pop and musical theatre standards as well as selections from her latest album.
May 2, 2018 | Tony and Grammy Award Winner Billy Porter Brings His Boundary-Pushing The Soul of Richard Rodgers to The Soraya for One Night Only!
Tony and Grammy Award winner Billy Porter does not hold back. The busy actor, composer, and director has also put out four solo albums. The most recent, Billy Porter Presents: The Soul of Richard Rodgers, features Porter’s new, soulful takes on classic Richard Rodgers songs, from “My Funny Valentine” to “Edelweiss.” Porter will be bringing his album to life on the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts stage on Saturday, June 2 at 8pm.
“I like to think of [this album] as the Richard Rodgers version of the Hamilton Mixtapes,” Porter said. “These are classic songs that everybody knows and loves, and I’m so excited for people to hear them in a brand-new way.”
May 1, 2018 | The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts proudly stands at the forefront of diversity and innovation in the arts
Continuing the momentum created with the current season launch of its Music Knows No Borders series, Executive Director Thor Steingraber unveils the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts’ 2018-19 Season, which features four world premieres, two American premieres, several of the world’s greatest orchestras, innovative jazz programs, two tributes to Hollywood legends, Broadway classics plus artists from 18 different nations who will appear on stage at The Soraya next season. New Subscription Series tickets will go on sale May 1, 2018.
May 1, 2018 | The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts proudly stands at the forefront of diversity and innovation in the arts
Continuing the momentum created with the current season launch of its Music Knows No Borders series, Executive Director Thor Steingraber unveils the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts’ 2018-19 Season, which features four world premieres, two American premieres, several of the world’s greatest orchestras, innovative jazz programs, two tributes to Hollywood legends, Broadway classics plus artists from 18 different nations who will appear on stage at The Soraya next season. New Subscription Series tickets will go on sale May 1, 2018.
Apr 30, 2018 | An Evening with David Sedaris
David Sedaris, America’s best-selling literary funnyman, returns to the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) for an evening of his captivating and hilarious storytelling on Saturday, May 12 at 8pm.
Sedaris last appeared at The Soraya in 2015. In 2017, he released Theft By Finding, selections from his diaries, which the NPR calls, “Mesmerizing, like watching spinning chickens. Theft by Finding feels like watching a favorite play from behind the scenes, in the company of a friend who can identify what is absurd and heartbreaking and human about every person on stage.” On May 28 of this year, he will release Calypso, a collection of cheerfully misanthropic stories. Sedaris calls Calypso, “Beach reading for people who detest beaches, required reading for those who loathe small talk and love a good tumor joke.”
Mar 19, 2018 | Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Continues Its Four-Year Residency at The Soraya
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (ASFB) celebrates the third year of its four-year residency at the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the performing arts (The Soraya) with a program of works that celebrates the company’s commitment to creating new contemporary dance on Saturday, April 7 at 8:00pm. ASFB will perform the new work Half/Cut/Split by world-renowned Finnish choreographer Jorma Elo, as well as Where We Left Off (2011) commissioned by ASFB and choreographed by Nicolo Fonte, and Return to a Strange Land (1975) from Jiří Kylián, Artistic Director of Nederlands Dans Theater with music by Leoš Janáček.
Mar 19, 2018 | The Soraya Presents Two Enchanted Evenings of Richard Rodgers!
From Oklahoma! to The Sound of Music, American composer Richard Rodgers forever changed the face of Broadway musicals, giving them stories and making them oh, so hum-able. Now, The Soraya will present two special events that celebrate this legendary artist, South Pacific (April 13-15) and Tony Award winner Billy Porter’s The Soul of Richard Rodgers (June 2).
Mar 14, 2018 | Academy Award-nominee Angela Bassett announced as narrator for Kathleen Battle: Underground Railroad – A Spiritual Journey
Academy Award-nominee, Angela Bassett will join Kathleen Battle as a guest narrator in Battle’s program Underground Railroad: A Spiritual Journey accompanied by pianist Joel Martin and the LA-based choir, The Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers at the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) on Thursday, March 29 at 8:00pm.
Angela Bassett’s talent and abilities as an actress, director, and executive producer in both television and film have garnered well-deserved respect and acclaim from peers and fans; proving her to be one of the industry’s premier leading ladies. She currently stars in Marvel’s mega-hit movie Black Panther and Fox Television’s highly acclaimed new drama 9-1-1.
American soprano Kathleen Battle’s luminous voice has been called by The Washington Post “…without qualification, one of the very few most beautiful in the world.” Yet beyond the glory of her singing, in a career filled with countless accolades, honors and major milestones, what has perhaps distinguished her most is her almost magical ability to create an unwavering emotional bond between herself, her music and her audience. This performance will mark Ms. Battle’s debut at The Soraya.
Feb 7, 2018 | The Soraya Celebrates Bernstein at 100 with a Screening and Live Orchestra of the Eight-Time Academy Award-winning American Classic
On the Waterfront. Richard Kaufman Conducts New West Symphony performing Leonard Bernstein’s only film score
Feb 7, 2018 | Family Programming at The Soraya
The timeless troupe celebrates 45 years Mummenschanz you & me
Feb 7, 2018 | Legendary Soprano Kathleen Battle to Make Debut at The Soraya with an La Premiere!
Kathleen Battle: Underground Railroad – A Spiritual Journey with Joel Martin, piano and LA’s Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers
Jan 9, 2018 | KEIGWIN + COMPANY Program choreographed to music of Leonard Bernstein!
KEIGWIN + COMPANY makes their Soraya debut on Saturday, February 3 with an all-Bernstein program, which includes two world premieres with live musical accompaniment: Three Plus One performed to Bernstein’s Piano Trio and Sonata to Bernstein’s Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, both commissioned by The Soraya.
The evening also features to works commissioned by the Kennedy Center: Episodes performed to Bernstein’s On the Town Suite and Waterfront performed to Bernstein’s On the Waterfront Suite.
Jan 8, 2018 | Dublin Irish Dance ‘Stepping Out’
Dublin Irish Dance performs Stepping Out, a high-energy extravaganza of sights and sounds, on Saturday, February 24 at 7:30pm at Segerstrom Center for the Arts and on Sunday, February 25 at 3:00pm at the Younes and Sarah Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya).
A company of world champion Irish step-dancers, along with an eight-member traditional Irish band and vocalist, take the audience on a journey, exploring the history and evolution of the Celtic cultural experience through favorite Irish melodies, traditional steps and Celtic instrumentals.
Jan 5, 2018 | Thierry Fischer Conducts the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Debut at The Soraya
The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) presents the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Thierry Fischer, Music Director of the Utah Symphony since 2009 and Principal Guest of the Seoul Philharmonic since January 2017 at the Great Hall on Friday, January 26 at 8:00pm.
The program, which spotlights Gautier Capuçon on cello, features Debussy’s Petite Suite, Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major and Stravinsky’s The Firebird. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra announced in a statement last week that Fischer would replace the previously announced conductor Charles Dutoit.
Dec 22, 2017 | Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán Returns to The Soraya with a full-length “mariachi opera”
The world’s first mariachi musical Cruzar la Cara de la Luna (To Cross the Face of the Moon) created by Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan’s Jose “Pepe” Martinez and Broadway’s Leonard Foglia, will have its Los Angeles premiere at the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) on Friday, February 16 at 8:00pm, Saturday, February 17 at 8:00pm and Sunday, February 18 at 3:00pm.
Performed in Spanish with projected English subtitles, Cruzar la Cara de la Luna is epic journey told in song about lost loves divided by borders. Tackling a timely tale, the legendary Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan combines the traditional music of Mexico with high drama to depict the cross-border story of two families and three generations.
Dec 20, 2017 | The Classic 1950’s Cuban Sound Joyously Comes to Life When Juan de Marcos and the Afro-Cuban All-Stars Make Debut at The Soraya
The electrifying Afro-Cuban All-Stars, under the guidance of legendary Juan de Marcos, pay tribute to Cuba’s golden age of music when the band makes its debut at The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) on Friday, January 19. Mixing the joy and melancholy for Cuba’s past with the exuberant sounds of contemporary performance, the 17-piece Afro-Cuban All-Stars bring the next generation of Cuban music to life on stage. In addition, the evening will also feature The Soraya debut of the Havana-based Harold López-Nussa Trio, which will open the evening.
“Is there a better way to celebrate the New Year than with the joyous sounds of the Afro-Cuban All-Stars and the Harold Lopez Nussa Trio?,” said Thor Steingraber, Executive Director of The Soraya (formerly known as Valley Performing Arts Center). “This season we celebrate music from 14 different countries with our Music Knows No Borders series. Not only do the All-Stars bring music from beyond our borders but also from multiple generations of past artists who still influence us today.”
Dec 20, 2017 | Flamenco Powerhouse Leilah Broukhim Returns to The Soraya with the LA Debut of Dejando Huellas (Traces)
After her wildly popular 2015 debut, flamenco dance dynamo Leilah Broukhim returns to The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (formerly Valley Performing Arts Center) with Dejando Huellas (Traces), a personal story about her own Jewish and Persian heritage. Broukhim’s furious flamenco footwork exalts the Spanish art form, while her emotional expression tells the tale of a woman searching for meaning and identity. Dejando Huellas makes its LA debut after performances in Paris, New York, Madrid, and Copenhagen.
“Leilah Broukhim is the quintessential ‘Music Knows No Borders’ performer, as her background displays a diverse and complex heritage,” said Thor Steingraber, Executive Director of The Soraya. “Her appearance in 2015 with Compañia Flamenca José Porcel was so emotional and electric that we were thrilled to have her back, especially with this deeply personal performance and the backing of these phenomenal musicians.”
Nov 29, 2017 | The Klezmatics Happy Joyous Hanukkah
Valley Performing Arts Center (The Soraya) welcome The Klezmatics on Saturday, December 16 at 8:00pm as they celebrate Yiddish culture at this time of year when candles and family warm the dark nights. As outspoken human rights advocates, their Hanukkah celebration embraces audiences of all cultures and backgrounds as they explore Hanukkah lyrics by Woody Guthrie, father of American Folk Music.
Since their emergence more than 30 years ago, The Klezmatics have raised the bar for Eastern European Jewish music, made aesthetically, politically and musically interesting recordings, inspired future generations, created a large body of work that is enduring, and helped to change the face of contemporary Yiddish culture. Often called a “Jewish roots band,” The Klezmatics have led a popular revival of this ages-old, nearly forgotten art form.
Nov 16, 2017 | A Michael Feinstein Holiday Celebration
Valley Performing Arts Center (The Soraya) welcomes back two-time Emmy nominee and five-time Grammy nominee Michael Feinstein to perform in a Holiday Celebration including Classic Standards as well as selections from his album, A Michael Feinstein Christmas on Friday, December 8 at 8:00pm.
Michael Feinstein has built a dazzling career over the last three decades bringing the music of the Great American songbook to the world: recordings that have earned him his Grammy nominations, his Emmy nominated PBS-TV specials, his acclaimed NPR series and concerts spanning the globe, appearances at The White House, Buckingham Palace, Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall and Sydney Opera House – and his work as an educator and archivist – all of this defines Feinstein as one of the most important musical forces of our time.
Nov 15, 2017 | Eliot Fisk, Guitar J.S. Bach Cello Suites 1, 3 & 6
Guitarist Eliot Fisk, known worldwide as a charismatic performer famed for his adventurous and virtuosic repertoire, will perform the J. S. Bach cello Suites 1, 3, and 6 as he has transcribed for guitar onstage at the Valley Performing Arts Center (The Soraya) on Wednesday, December 6 at 8:00 pm.
After nearly 50 years performing for the public, Fisk remains as his mentor Andres Segovia once wrote, “at the top line of our artistic world.” Currently, Fisk continues to break new ground for the guitar with marathon performances of these transcriptions of all 6 Bach solo cello Suites, as well as duo performances with guitar legend Angel Romero and with a new trio formed with virtuoso guitarists Joaquin Clerch and Aniello Desiderio.
Nov 3, 2017 | Latin Grammy Award-winners iLe & Gaby Moreno Make Debut at The Soraya in One-Night-Only Double Bill of Cross-Cultural Latin Music
iLe (Ileana Cabra Joglar) is a Puerto Rican singer, composer and vocalist who spent a decade touring Latin America with her brothers in the popular band Calle 13. Now, as successful solo artist she comes to Los Angeles performing music from her recent album that combines alt-rock with traditional boleros. Gaby Moreno, who sings the theme song for the series opening intro of Disney’s first Latina princess Elena of Avalor, moved to the US from Guatemala after high school and now calls Los Angeles her home. Her guitar and bluesy vocals move easily between pop, soul, and classic Latin sounds. Both boast a Latin Grammy win and will serve up their unique blend of cultures onstage as part of the Music Knows No Borders series at VPAC (The Soraya) on Saturday, November 18 at 8pm.
Oct 24, 2017 | Jazz Sensation Anat Cohen and Her Tentet Celebrate the Release of Her Latest Album, “Happy Song” at VPAC (The Soraya)
The Israeli-born, Brooklyn-based virtuoso clarinetist, Anat Cohen, presents a tapestry of sound that captures the jubilation of many genres, spanning modern and traditional jazz, Brazilian choro, klezmer and much more.
“We are thrilled to host Anat Cohen Tentet’s West Coast debut, and to bring Cohen and her incredible band to our audience first, right on the heels of their brand-new record, Happy Song,” said Thor Steingraber, Executive Director of VPAC (The Soraya). “Cohen, an Israeli clarinetist with roots in New York jazz, is a prime example of our Music Knows No Borders programming. And with this ten-piece band onstage, you will get to experience Anat Cohen rock out on the clarinet like you’ve never heard that instrument played before.”
Oct 24, 2017 | DIAVOLO | Architecture in Motion® Celebrates 25th Anniversary at VPAC (The Soraya)
Following the DIAVOLO | Architecture in Motion® stunning multi-week appearances as finalists on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, LA’s own daredevil dance company wraps its 25th Anniversary milestone season at Valley Performing Arts Company (The Soraya) with a participatory all-day, indoor-outdoor “open house” series of free workshops, community activities, and three fully staged performances (1:00pm, 3:00pm and 7:00pm) featuring 11 DIAVOLO works, followed by a free dance party on Saturday, November 11 from 1:00pm to 11:00pm.
Oct 23, 2017 | International Sensation The Sachal Ensemble Kicks off Onstage Jazz Performances at VPAC (The Soraya) For Los Angeles Debut with Song of Lahore
This season, VPAC (The Soraya) introduces a new experience for L.A’s live music lovers as the 1,700 seat theatre is transformed into an intimate onstage New York-style jazz club for a series of global and chamber music performances.
The Onstage Sessions: Jazz series will be unveiled when Pakistan’s groundbreaking East-meets-West classical/jazz collective The Sachal Ensemble performs Song of Lahore for one-night only, Tuesday, November 14 at 8pm. This evening follows the Ensemble’s recent performance at the United Nations in celebration of Pakistan’s 70th year of independence. This Los Angeles debut is presented as part of VPAC’s Music Knows No Borders series.
Oct 11, 2017 | Feverish and Fierce! Flamenco Legends by Javier Limón: The Paco de Lucía Project Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the legendary flamenco guitarist’s first solo recording
For fifty years, the feverish and fierce art of flamenco guitar has spread like wildfire from Spain to points around the globe, ignited by the late Paco de Lucía. Honoring that legacy, Javier Limón, producer of Paco’s later GRAMMY-winning albums, reassembles the original band that toured with Paco de Lucía in this tribute performance, The Paco de Lucía Project arriving at Valley Performing Arts Center (The Soraya) on Saturday, November 4 at 8:00pm.
Oct 6, 2017 | One of Russia’s Top Virtuoso Orchestras, Moscow State Symphony Orchestra Makes Debut at The Soraya
The internationally celebrated Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Pavel Kogen, Music Director and Chief Conductor, will make their debut on the stage of the Great Hall of Valley Performing Arts Center (The Soraya) on Thursday, November 2 at 8pm. The all-Russian program which honors the traditions and romantic history of Russia includes Rachmaninov’s The Rock, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, and Scriabin’s Symphony No. 2. This concert is the first of the season’s SOARING performances that will feature several of the world’s greatest orchestras during the 2017-2018 season at VPAC (The Soraya). It also marks the debut of the fourth of the largest Russian orchestras to appear on the VPAC stage—the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra in 2011, the Russian National Orchestra in 2016 and The St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra in 2017.
Oct 2, 2017 | California State University, Northridge and Dignity Health Announce Significant Campus+, Multi-Year Partnership
Announced today by CSUN Director of Athletics Dr. Brandon Martin and Dignity Health – Northridge Hospital CEO Saliba H. Salo, the relationship will allow for unprecedented synergies between the two parties, particularly in the areas of health, education, research and athletics. Effective immediately, Dignity Health will assume the university’s first-ever designation as “Community Health Partner of the CSUN Matadors” and be notably visible across campus.
Sep 30, 2017 | Maceo Parker Pays Tribute to the Incomparable Ray Charles in To Ray with Love
The 2017/18 Swinging Jazz series at VPAC (aka. The Soraya) kicks off when American funk maestro Maceo Parker takes to the stage for an unforgettable tribute to the great Ray Charles. In the fall of 1963, Parker was standing out the back of The Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina waiting to catch a glimpse of anyone from the band after a very special concert. After only seeing strangers, the band eventually spilled out followed, finally, by the great man himself, Ray Charles. The awestruck young saxophonist muttered to himself ‘One of these days you’re all gonna know me!’ Now, over half a century later, Parker brings it full circle as he performs a tribute to Ray Charles.
Sep 11, 2017 | Cheech Marin Hosts an Evening of Latin Comedy
CSUN Alum Cheech Marin (Up in Smoke, Jane the Virgin) hosts an evening of comedy for the 3rd annual CSUN alumni performance on September 28 at Valley Performing Arts Center (The Soraya). The evening will also feature Paul Rodriguez, Marcella Arguello, Frankie Quinones and Francisco Ramos.
With an unequalled catalog of film, TV, and recordings, Cheech Marin, a five-decade veteran has done it all, from king of counter culture to his familiar voice in Disney’s The Lion King. Cheech returns to his old CSUN stomping grounds and brings some of the young guns of comedy with him to VPAC.
Sep 8, 2017 | Valley Performing Arts Center Celebrates Bernstein at 100!
Valley Performing Arts Center will partner with New West Symphony in November to celebrate the centenary and extraordinary legacy of American composer Leonard Bernstein with Bernstein on Stage. Bernstein specialist John Mauceri, a protégé of the legendary composer and conductor, will lead the New West Symphony Orchestra, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles (Dr. Joseph P. Nadeau, Artistic Director and Conductor), Women of Areté Vocal Ensemble & California Lutheran University (Wyant Morton, Director) along with Suzanna Guzmán, Davis Gaines, Celena Shafer and Casey Candebat on Friday, November 17 at 8:00pm. The official Bernstein at 100 celebrations begin Sept 22 in Washington, DC and the VPAC performance will be among the first concerts subsequently to perform in Los Angeles.
Aug 22, 2017 | Paco de Lucía Project to Launch North American Tour in Fall 2017
In the early 1980s, guitarist and composer Paco de Lucía assembled a sextet that, in its instrumentation and jazz-like approach, would forever change the sound of flamenco. It would take the guitarist 20 years to put together another group that would provide him with both the support and push for his talent and his vision.
Aug 11, 2017 | Symphonic Music is SOARING at VPAC in 2017-18!
Director Miloš Forman’s film AMADEUS one of the greatest biopics ever made, swept the 1984 Oscars winning eight awards including Best Picture. Now, Valley Performing Arts Center opens its 2017-18 Season on Saturday, September 16 at 7:00pm with a live performance featuring the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) and LA Opera Chorus, conducted by film music specialist and CSUN alum Richard Kaufman, to a newly mastered print created for live orchestral accompaniment.
Jul 18, 2017 | CSUN Names the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts
Dr. Dianne F. Harrison, president of California State University, Northridge, today announced the renaming of CSUN’s Valley Performing Arts Center to the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts.
The California State University Board of Trustees approved the naming in recognition of a $17 million gift from the Y&S Nazarian Family Foundation, the philanthropic foundation of Younes and Soraya Sarah Nazarian and their family. The gift will support the programming and operations of the award-winning performing arts center, which has become one of the cultural jewels of the region in the six years since it opened. The gift is one of the largest in the history of the California State University and the system’s largest single gift to support the arts.
Jun 6, 2017 | Valley Performing Arts Center brings the world to its stage for the 2017-18 season!
VPAC’s new season makes a strong commitment to international artists, and to artists who demonstrate VPAC’s theme Music Knows No Borders.
Apr 12, 2017 | One of the most enduring works of musical theatre!
Davis Gaines reprises his Ovation Award-winning role as Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha, winner of the Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Score, and one of the most enduring works of musical theatre.
Mar 23, 2017 | Martha Graham and American Music—A program curated especially for Valley Performing Arts Center
Valley Performing Arts Center will present Martha Graham and American Music—a program curated especially for Valley Performing Arts Center, performed by the Martha Graham Dance Company and wild Up, the classical music ensemble, conducted by its artistic director Christopher Rountree. Martha Graham Dance Company returns to VPAC after a sold-out performance in 2015.
Mar 23, 2017 | VPAC Celebrates Doc’s 90th!
Valley Performing Arts Center will presents a celebration of Grammy Award winner Doc Severinsen’s 90th birthday with Doc Severinsen and His Big Band on Thursday, April 13 at 8:00pm. The former bandleader for the NBC Orchestra/The Tonight Show is still going strong.
Feb 23, 2017 | West Side Story
From the first notes to the final breath, West Side Story is one of the most memorable musicals and greatest love stories of all time. As powerful, poignant, and timely as ever, the thrilling Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim score – including “Tonight,” “Maria,” “America” and the classic “Somewhere,” remains one of the best-ever written. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is transported to modern-day New York City, caught between warring street gangs, the Jets and the Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence, and prejudice is one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of our time.
Feb 16, 2017 | Orson Welles said that The General is the cinema’s highest achievement in comedy and perhaps the greatest film ever made.
Valley Performing Arts Center will present Buster Keaton’s The General with a score performed live by the New West Symphony on Saturday, March 25 at 8:00pm. CSUN alum Richard Kaufman returns to VPAC to conduct. The film will feature a score prepared by American musician and historic preservationist, Dennis James.
Feb 9, 2017 | Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Continues Three-Year Residency at VPAC
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (ASFB) celebrates the second year of its three-year residency at Valley Performing Arts Center with a program of new works that celebrates the company’s commitment to creating new contemporary dance on Friday, March 3 at 8:00pm.
Jan 27, 2017 | Grammy-Winning La Santa Cecilia Brings its Vibrant LA sound to VPAC!
From the heart of Olvera Street, L.A.-based Grammy Award-winning La Santa Cecilia leaps to the VPAC stage on Saturday, February 18 for a one-night only rocking performance. Named for the patron saint of music, La Santa Cecilia has created its own distinct LA sound that blends Latin culture, rock and world music. Drawing its musical inspiration from a vast and varied pool of music—cumbia, bossa nova, rumba, bolero, tango and klezmer music, La Santa Cecilia takes all that to another level, blending its music with a contemporary mix of rock with a solid Latin beat.
Jan 27, 2017 | The Nile Project & Global Currents
On Saturday, February 25, Valley Performing Arts Center will host a special all-day event — Global Currents, an event that celebrates water itself, starting with the outdoor Global Currents Festival at the Valley Performing Arts Center Lawn and Courtyard, free to the public, from 1-6pm and featuring six Los Angeles ensembles representing six regions of the world. The day culminates in a ticketed performance in the Great Hall from The Nile Project, in which twelve artists from along the Nile River share a message of cultural unity and global sustainability.
Jan 17, 2017 | Two of the most acclaimed, award-winning vocal groups in pop music history
Combining musical forces for the first time, The Manhattan Transfer and Take 6 will create an unforgettable swinging concert event at Valley Performing Arts Center on Thursday, February 9 at 8:00pm. Between them, the two groups boast a remarkable 20 Grammy Awards, and a range of styles that covers nearly every genre of popular music; from jazz to swing, from gospel to R&B. No ordinary double bill, this is a show combining unexpected twists and turns to create a once-in-alifetime event.
Dec 30, 2016 | Adams at 70 comes to VPAC
Valley Performing Arts Center joins in the year-long global tribute to celebrate the 70th birthday of prolific American composer, John Adams, with three distinct programs to honor the legendary California composer: American Berserk, a celebration of John Adams curated by Patrick Scott on January 14, St. Lawrence String Quartet on February 3 and wild Up, Adams/Punk Rock/Player Piano on February 16.
Dec 19, 2016 | An All-Ages Rock Musical!
Valley Performing Arts Center’s PLAY DATE series continues the all-ages rock musical, Hansel & Gretel: A Wickedly Delicious Musical Treat with music and lyrics by Grammy-nominated children’s music artist, Justin Roberts and book by Ernie Roberts. This brand new production with animations by Micah Chambers- Goldberg, 3D animations by Gaspard Lacroix and direction by Michael Matthews has one performance only on Sunday, January 22 at 3:00pm.
Nov 30, 2016 | Direct from Ireland to VPAC
Christmas in Ireland is one of the most important holidays for families and friends, as many Irish people living abroad come home to gather in celebration. Now, that joyous and warm Irish tradition comes to the Valley Performing Arts Center for the first time when Danú, An Irish Christmas Gathering: Féile Na Nollag celebrates the holidays on Sunday, December 11 at 7:30pm.
Nov 16, 2016 | The Choir of Trinity Wall Street and Trinity Baroque Orchestra Handel’s Messiah
Valley Performing Arts Center presents New York’s premiere choral ensemble and Baroque orchestra: The Choir of Trinity Wall Street and Trinity Baroque Orchestra, under the direction of Julian Wachner, performing the season’s most heralded piece of music: Handel’s Messiah on Wednesday, December 7 at 8:00pm.
Nov 11, 2016 | From Vienna, Mexico, New York City and Ireland — The Holidays Arrive at Valley Performing Arts Center
Valley Performing Arts Center is bringing the holidays to the Great Hall with a cornucopia of musical attractions this December. From Vienna to Mexico to New York City to Ireland, these worldly offerings are sure to ignite the holiday spirit.
Oct 20, 2016 | Get out and Vote!
With less than three weeks to Election Day, the 2016 presidential campaign continues to be both harrowing and hilarious. Perhaps there is no better time than right now to send in the clowns of political satire — Culture Clash! The boys are coming back to VPAC on November 1 to celebrate Día de los Muertos with some of the most daring artists of our time.
Oct 10, 2016 | José James presents Yesterday I Had the Blues: The Music of Billie Holiday
Valley Performing Arts Center continues to bring diverse programming to the Valley with a new addition to the 2016-17 season: jazz and hip-hop vocalist, José James presents Yesterday I Had the Blues: The Music of Billie Holiday on November 3 at 8pm. Featuring a live band with James Francies on keys, Josh Hari on bass and Nate Smith on drums, this evening will pay tribute to Holiday, who José James cites as his “musical mother.”
Oct 3, 2016 | Ragamala Dance Company Written in Water West-Coast Premiere
“This mother and daughter duo has one foot firmly planted in the greatest traditions of Indian Classical dance, and the other foot delicately balanced in the future, with imaginative new combinations of movement, music, and story-telling. This brand new piece, Written in Water, will he experienced up close, with the audience sitting on VPAC’s stage.”
Sep 30, 2016 | VPAC Announces Two New Events!
Valley Performing Arts Center continues to bring diverse programming to the Valley with two new additions to their 2016-17 season: jazz and hip-hop vocalist, José James presents Yesterday I Had the Blues: The Music of Billie Holiday on November 3 at 8pm and Leslie Odom Jr., Tony and Grammy winner for the role of “Aaron Burr” in Hamilton on November 17 at 8pm. This will be Odom Jr.’s first West Coast performance, since winning the Tony for Hamilton.
Sep 15, 2016 | The Ambassadors of Female Mariachi– Latin Grammy award-winner Celebrating 40 years as a Mexican Music Icon Aida Cuevas with Grammy nominated Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles
Latin Grammy award winner Aida Cuevas and Grammy nominated Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles will co-headline an all-female mariachi concert spectacle at Valley Performing Arts Center on Sunday, October 16 at 7:30pm. Aida Cuevas is Mexico’s most important female voice, marking a career spanning 40 years. Paired with Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles’ vivacious musical spirit, this evening will celebrate the treasured art form of mariachi.
Sep 13, 2016 | VPAC Adds Second Show After Nov 10 Date Sells Out!
After selling out the November 10 premiere, Valley Performing Arts Center has added an additional performance of Serj Tankian’s Elect the Dead & Orca Symphonies on Saturday, November 12 at 8:00pm. With a vocal range over four octaves, Serj Tankian, considered one of the greatest singers in hard rock history and a CSUN alumnus, will present his Orca Symphony and perform and sing his Elect The Dead Symphony alongside the CSUN Orchestra under the direction of John Roscigno at Valley Performing Arts Center.
Aug 30, 2016 | Famed Dance Company Pilobolus creators of the hit show Shadowland performed with Britney Spears and G-Eazy at the 2016 MTV VMA Awards
The Rapper and the Pop Superstar performed a mash- up of their hits ‘Make Me’ and ‘Me, Myself and I’ while PILOBOLUS provided a mind-bending visual component using innovative shadow work which combines legendary PILOBOLUS dance, with high-energy, fast-paced multimedia.
Aug 30, 2016 | An American Jazz Icon Returns to VPAC!
Wynton Marsalis, the acclaimed performer, composer, educator, bandleader, and nine-time Grammy winner, stretches across all genres to create a body of work that places him among the world’s most influential and important artists. Valley Performing Arts Center welcomes his return with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) on Friday, October 8 at 8:00pm.
Aug 30, 2016 | A Rare Evening With Kelli O’Hara Broadway’s Tony Award-winning star
The New York Times calls Kelli O’Hara one of “our greatest re-interpreters of musical standards” and on October 14 at 8:00pm, “Broadway’s golden girl and luminous star” returns to Valley Performing Arts Center in a one night only concert. Part of VPAC’s Broadway series, An Evening With Kelli O’Hara will feature the Tony award winner performing some of her most beloved Broadway tunes.
Aug 24, 2016 | VPAC’s Family Matinee Series kicks off with “stunning and brilliant”
Following sold-out runs around the world, Pilobolus’ amazing spectacle of inventiveness, Shadowland, returns to Southern California on Sunday, October 2 at 3:00pm to kick-off VPAC’s popular Family Matinee Series.
Aug 22, 2016 | Sting to Premier New 57th & 9th Album At Private KCSN VIP Concert at VPAC
Music icon Sting will premier new songs from his forthcoming album, 57th & 9th, at a private KCSN VIP Live Session on Aug. 31 at the Valley Performing Arts Center on the campus of California State University, Northridge.
Aug 11, 2016 | Dear World Launches VPAC’s 2016-17 Season!
American musical legend Jerry Herman created the theatrical hat-trick in 1969 when Dear World opened on Broadway. Joining Hello, Dolly! and Mame, Herman became the first composer-lyricist in history to have three productions running simultaneously on Broadway.
Aug 9, 2016 | Day of the Dead meets Election Day
The boys of Culture Clash are taking over Valley Performing Arts Center with VOTE OR DIE LAUGHING: A Post-Modern Political Vaudeville on Tuesday, November 1 at 8:00pm. Culture Clash will be celebrating Día de los Muertos, mixing in observations about America’s most important election and special appearances from La Santa Cecilia, Cristela Alonzo, Buyepongo, Pacifico Dance Company, Marga Gomez and more.
Jul 15, 2016 | VPAC presents North American Premiere of Serj Tankian’s Elect the Dead & Orca Symphonies
With a vocal range over four octaves, Serj Tankian, considered one of the greatest singers in hard rock history and a CSUN alumnus, will present his Orca Symphony and perform and sing his Elect The Dead Symphony alongside the CSUN Orchestra under the direction of John Roscigno at Valley Performing Arts Center for one night only on Thursday, November 10 at 8:00pm.
Jul 5, 2016 | Valley Performing Arts Center 2016-2017 Single Tickets on sale now!
Highlights include a special VPAC John Adams Celebration, four onstage symphonic orchestras, three Broadway musicals, four Latin music events, and two classic silent films with live orchestras
Jul 5, 2016 | 2016-2017 Single Tickets are on sale now for all events Including the Popular Family Sunday Matinees!
An original production of the Grimm Brothers’ Hansel & Gretel, Shadowland from acclaimed dance troupe Pilobolus, Akram Khan Company’s Chotto Desh, and Shaolin Warriors: The Legend Continues and full productions of West Side Story and Man of La Mancha are some of the highlights from Valley Performing Arts Center’s newly-announced 2016-17 Season.
May 6, 2016 | Valley Performing Arts Center Announces 2016-17 Season!
Highlights include a special VPAC John Adams Celebration, Four onstage symphonic orchestras, three Broadway musicals, four Latin music events, and two classic silent films with live orchestras