At The Soraya, January is our anniversary month, a time when we honor those who made The Soraya possible – public leaders like Zev Yaroslavsky, Bob Hertzberg, and Bob Blumenfield; philanthropists like Mike Curb, Clyde and Nancy Porter, Ginny Mancini, and David and Jean Fleming; and the visionary who led them all – former CSUN President Jolene Koester.
The Soraya rose at a perilous time, during the Great Recession. On our 5th Anniversary, we were barely getting started, still dubbed the Valley Performing Arts Center. In 2017, the Nazarian family secured The Soraya’s future with a transformative gift. For our 10th Anniversary, our momentum was interrupted by the pandemic. For our 15th Anniversary, we have rebuilt and are going strong. This season’s sales have far exceeded any previous season; over 15,000 students have attended performances in the past year; and our artistic reputation has spread far and wide.
In the next ten days, two performances will wrap up our Anniversary celebration. First, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Thursday, Jan. 22) makes its debut with renowned conductor Riccardo Muti. The Soraya is exceptional acoustically, and the anniversary would not be complete without featuring the big and rich sound of one of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras. Then jazz pianist and arranger Gerald Clayton brings to the stage, Sacredness, a fresh take on Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts(Saturday, Jan. 31). Jazz has become central to The Soraya’s identity, and this concert uplifts that with an original creation performed by an entirely Grammy-nominated company including Clayton, Michael Mayo, Christie Dashiell, and the choir Tonality.
Please join us for the celebration.
Gratefully,
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Thu, Jan 22 | 7:30PM
STRAUSS JR. Overture to The Gypsy Baron
HINDEMITH Mathis der Maler
BRAHMS Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98
On rare occasions has The Soraya’s Great Hall resounded with Brahms, the Romantic composer often grouped with Bach and Beethoven as the most important composers of two centuries of music, encompassing the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods.
Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 directly alludes to both Bach and Beethoven. Capping the most prolific period of his career, the 1885 masterpiece has been called his greatest. Just weeks before his death of cancer in 1897, Brahms made his final public appearance at a concert of this composition, greeted with multiple prolonged ovations. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is known for its mastery of Brahms, including recordings by notable conductors Georg Solti, James Levine, and Daniel Barenboim. Riccardo Muti, Music Director Emeritus for Life, leads the CSO’s debut at The Soraya.
Sacredness
Gerald Clayton Honors Duke Ellington’s Concert of Sacred Music
Featuring Michael Mayo, Christie Dashiell, Tonality, and Josette Wiggan
Sat Jan 31 | 2PM
The Soraya has assembled an entire company of musicians who are 2026 Grammy nominees: pianist and music director Gerald Clayton, Los Angeles-based gospel choir Tonality, and jazz vocalists Christie Dashiell, and Michael Mayo. Opening The Soraya’s fifth annual Jazz at Naz festival, Clayton brings us Sacredness, his rendering of the work Duke Ellington considered his most important, the three Sacred Concerts that were performed between 1965 and 1973 in cathedrals and churches in San Francisco and New York City. Ellington evoked a Cotton Club revue meets the African American Church that has endured as nondenominational and universal. Clayton brings Ellington’s daring masterpiece into the present day with original arrangements, four dancers led by tapper and choreographer Josette Wiggan, an all-star jazz big band, and new spoken word creations.
Upcoming Performances
Gerald Clayton Honors Duke Ellington's Concert of Sacred Music
