“The Soraya is a powerful symbol of our academic mission, the advancement of inquiry and discovery, and the pursuit of truth, as artists who perform for us advance our curiosity, capture our imagination, and illustrate the wonderment of the human experience. The gift of these experiences helps attune our hearts and minds to what really matters, our humanity.” — Erika D. Beck, Ph.D. President, California State University, Northridge.
The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts — The Soraya — is a cultural jewel that celebrates the art of live performance. Located on campus at California State University, Northridge, our award-winning performance hall is a welcoming place where members of L.A.’s richly diverse communities see themselves reflected in new and original work from Los Angeles and around the world.
The Soraya exists because forward-thinking San Fernando Valley leaders recognized the need to build a world-class performing arts venue in a culturally rich region without any center of the arts to call its own. Since our grand opening in 2011, we’ve strived to present a breathtaking sweep of transcendent artists in forms including jazz, classical, dance, and musical theatre. Aida Cuevas, the “Queen of Ranchera Music,” is a regular performer at The Soraya, while Ballet BC is established as one of The Soraya’s resident dance companies. We are also active in ensuring access to and inspiring love of the arts throughout our communities. Our K-12 Arts Education Program and free community events ensure everyone can enjoy dance, music and art — often introducing community members to new art forms and inspiring a lifelong love.
With your philanthropic support, The Soraya will continue to be a place where people gather to celebrate beautiful expressions of our shared humanity.
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Photo credit: Luis Luque
