As we celebrate the sold-out success of the first two performances in the 2026-27 Season, I’m excited to reflect on the culmination of my first 100 days with The Soraya. This journey has given me the opportunity to experience the cultural abundance and generosity of the San Fernando Valley, and to immerse myself in the Los Angeles arts scene — a community unlike any I’ve seen before.
As the season continues to unfold, I have no doubt that you and I will cross paths either on campus, out in the community, or here at The Soraya. I look forward to meeting you if I haven’t already! In the meantime, I wanted to take this opportunity to humbly share what I’ve been up to so far — and how it is already shaping my vision for the next chapter in The Soraya’s story.
Experiencing the Arts in LA
- LA Opera’s The Magic Flute at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for Music Director James Conlon’s final performance
- NY City Ballet presented by The Music Center
- National Symphony Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl as a guest of longtime Soraya supporters David and Joyce Primes
- A special private tour of the Skirball Cultural Center with Soraya Nazarian led by CEO Jessie Kornberg
Meetings with LA Arts Leaders to discuss the cultural ecosystem of LA and future partnership opportunities
- Christopher Koelsch – President & CEO, LA Opera
- Ben Cadwallader – Executive Director, LA Chamber Orchestra
- Kim Noltemy – President & CEO, LA Phil
- Corrina Lesser – Supervisor, City of Beverly Hills Arts & Culture Division
- Daniel Turica – General Manager, City of LA Department of Cultural Affairs
- Jeff Loeb – President, Hollywood Pantages Theatre
- Jessie Kornberg, President & CEO, Skirball Cultural Center
- Jean Davidson, Executive Director & CEO, The Wallis
Collaborating with Campus and Community Partners
- Lunch with dedicated public servant and politician Wendy Greuel to start to understand the community and political landscape of LA
- A one-on-one meeting with CSUN President Erika D. Beck to discuss vision and strategy for the future
- President’s Fall Welcome Address for CSUN’s 2026-27 academic year
- Lunch with Alireza Ardekani, CEO of the Farhang Foundation, to discuss future programming collaborations to better serve the region’s Persian community
- Meeting with Matt Baram, Executive Director of Hillel 818, to discuss future partnerships with the Jewish student community
- Meeting with CSUN’s Queer Studies and Pride Center to discuss the details of a new faculty/staff LGBTQ+ affinity group
- CSUN Foundation Board Retreat where I was a guest panelist to share my vision for The Soraya’s next chapter
- Campus tours (so far) include:
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- Marilyn Magaram Center for Food Science, Nutrition, and Dietetics with Executive Director Annette Besnilian
- College of Social and Behavioral Sciences with Dean Yan Searcy
- Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication with Dean Dan Hosken
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Connecting with Soraya Supporters
- The Soraya’s Annual Director’s Dinner
- Lunches and dinners with dozens of donors like Milt and Debbie Valera to hear about why they give so passionately to The Soraya
- Lunch with Christi Robinson, the new chair of our ambassadors, to discuss the future of The Soraya
- Lunches with Executive Director’s Circle members Jeff Felix (BMO Wealth Management) and Christina Ketsoyan (US Bank) to discuss the importance of corporate partnerships and institutional giving
- Donor trip to Opolo Vineyards in Paso Robles with a group of 14 dedicated Soraya supporters
During my first 100 days, I also had many opportunities to get to know my Soraya team, observe their culture, witness their commitment to customer service, and understand how they define success. Part of that was also attending the Western Arts Alliance Conference in Oakland with Director of Programming Justin Souza to begin artistic planning for the 2027-28 Season — stay tuned!
I can think of no better way to have capped off my first 100 days than with our unforgettable opening night on Sep 19 with Sutton Foster, Conductor Chris Walden, the Pacific Jazz Orchestra…and a surprise appearance by Hugh Jackman.
And we’re just getting started! Here’s to the next 100 days and beyond!
Gratefully,
