At the heart of every great performance at The Soraya is a great artist. Some appear on the stage, and some are composers, choreographers, or others who act as inspiration across generations and geography. Please meet some of those creative powerhouses who elevate the 2025-26 Season.
In the 1950s, Quincy Jones (1933-2024) began as a jazz musician. While still young, he composed, conducted, and played trumpet with the greats — Tommy Dorsey, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, among others. The 1960s found Jones moving to Los Angeles with skyrocketing success, accepting a position as vice president of Mercury Records, and composing a film score for director Sidney Lumet, Jones’ first score of nearly 40 films throughout his lifetime.
Jones paired up with Frank Sinatra in 1964, and their rendition of “Fly Me to the Moon” became associated with the lunar mission. An Apollo 11 astronaut said he played Jones’ arrangement on a cassette deck during his mission.
Jones became one of the industry’s most powerful record producers, a legacy cemented in 1982 with the all-time best-selling album, Thriller, by Michael Jackson. Shortly after, when it came time to bring together the top echelon of pop stars for “We Are the World,” there was one person for the job: Jones stood as a singular figure in the music and entertainment industries.
Following his death, it’s no surprise that both the GRAMMY® Awards and Academy Awards staged tributes to Jones. Few artists in any field have had an impact as great as his.
Fly Me to the Moon
A Tribute to Quincy Jones
featuring the Pacific Jazz Orchestra
with Special Guests
Chris Walden, composer
Sat Oct 18 | 8 PM
Quincy Jones was a household name for decades, but long before Michael Jackson and “We Are the World,” the musician/arranger/producer worked his way up, first from humble beginnings as a jazz trumpeter and then scoring films when he moved to Los Angeles. His lifelong impact is huge, including a long list of those whom he mentored, among them GRAMMY Award-winning bandleader and arranger Chris Walden, who is also founder and artistic director of the Pacific Jazz Orchestra. The Soraya and Pacific Jazz Orchestra’s 17-piece big band pay homage to Jones in a concert that features his work onstage and onscreen and transport us to his beginnings in the 1950s.
2025–26 SEASON JUST ANNOUNCED
The spotlight’s on our boldest season yet! From a reimagined Fiddler on the Roof, to a star-studded Tribute to Quincy Jones, and the electrifying return of Veronica Swift with the Pacific Jazz Orchestra, the stage is set for unforgettable moments.