This season the Holiday Series begins on Thursday, Nov. 30, with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra performing Bach's Brandenburg Concertos.
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.
This season the Holiday Series begins on Thursday, Nov. 30, with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra performing Bach's Brandenburg Concertos. Then, at the beginning of December Mannheim Steamroller brings its annual holiday tour to The Soraya, with two performances for audiences to enjoy on Sunday, Dec. 3. With more than 31 million albums sold, the group, led by Chip Davis, is one of the number one Christmas music artists of all time.
Just a few days after Mannheim Steamroller, GRAMMY©-Winner (and now 2024 GRAMMY© Nominee), Samara Joy returns to The Soraya for two nights on her own holiday tour — performing the latest hits off her recent A Joyful Holiday album. Members of Joy's talented musical family, including her father Antonio McLendon, will join her onstage, performing “The Christmas Song,” and more dazzling holiday songs.
Each event in the Holiday Series is to be enjoyed at The Soraya, but A Very Irish Christmas is something audiences will only see in The Soraya's Great Hall. The one-of-a-kind show is the first wholly Irish Christmas event created by Mark Howard's Trinity Irish Dance Company — The Soraya's Dec. 9 event will be the only performance of A Very Irish Christmas. Though the Company's foundations are in Irish Dance, it promises innovation, a twist on holiday traditions, and upbeat energy that will be felt from the moment patrons step into the Great Hall.
Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles and Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar close The Soraya's Holiday Series in mid-December, with the beloved Soraya Christmas spectacular Nochebuena, celebrating the holiday sights, sounds, and traditions of Mexico. Spirited folk tales are shared through a stunning display of vibrant colors and dance as Mariachi music fills the air — so popular we've added a third show this season. The group will perform on Saturday, Dec 16 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and on Sunday, Dec 17 at 3 p.m.
Thu Nov 30| 8pm
A Los Angeles tradition returns to kick off The Soraya's holiday offerings. Among the greatest achievements of the Baroque era, Bach's six pieces employ varied instrumentation that highlights the virtuosity of each musician. How did these familiar 300-year-old tunes, with no holiday or religious themes, become seasonal favorites? Los Angeles Times writer Mark Swed puts it best, “The concertos don't have anything to do with anything, other than being a demonstration of Bach's amazing ingenuity and his inordinate ability to delight.”
Sun Dec 3 | 3pm & 8pm
A six-piece rock band, a dozen orchestral musicians, and the infinite possibilities of synthesizers provide the signature holiday sound beloved worldwide. Mannheim Steamroller boasts more holiday albums on the Billboard Top 25 list than any other artist. Yuletide visionary Chip Davis has led the arena-style spectacle for 35 years, offering a full-bodied alternative to Bing Crosby's White and Elvis' Blue Christmases.
Wed De 6 | 8pm
Thu Dec 7 | 8pm
Samara Joy returns for a holiday appearance following her sold-out Soraya debut in the 2023 Jazz at Naz Festival. With her grace and ease, the 24-year-old Grammy Award winner takes the stage for two performances with members of her talented musical family who have shared their influences of gospel, Motown, and jazz across the generations. With her father, uncle, and cousins, Joy delivers a sparkling evening brimming with the most time-honored songs of the season.
Sat Dec 9 | 3pm
The unique power and grace of Trinity Irish Dance Company comes to The Soraya with an exclusive holiday performance from Mark Howard's award-winning Chicago company. “Sophisticated and commanding” (Los Angeles Times) and “impossibly complex” (New York Times), TIDC is the birthplace of progressive Irish Dance, an innovative movement genre that “ushered in a new era for Irish step dance” (Chicago Tribune). Experience the uncanny precision and levity of this charismatic holiday performance. Audiences will experience the uncanny precision and levity of this charismatic holiday performance complete with a live band with lead singer and Ireland-native Brendan O'Shea.
Sat Dec 16 | 3pm & 8pm
Sun Dec 17 | 3pm
Nochebuena: A Christmas Spectacular Featuring Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles and Mariachie Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar
The beloved Soraya Christmas spectacular returns to celebrate the holiday traditions of Mexico. Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar pairs with Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles to blend music, dance, and culture. Spirited folk tales are shared through a stunning display of vibrant colors and dance as Mariachi music fills the air.
For questions or ticket information, visit TheSoraya.org or call the Ticket Office at (818) 677- 3000. Office hours are 11a-4p, Tuesday through Saturday.
About the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for The Performing Arts (The Soraya) is an award winning, state-of-the art 1,700-seat theatre designed and built by HGA Architects and Engineers and opened in January 2011 as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC). Through a
transformative gift by Younes and Soraya Nazarian the venue was renamed as The Soraya in 2017. Vibrant programming has served to establish The Soraya as the intellectual and cultural heart of the San Fernando Valley and its 1.8 million residents, and as one of the top arts and culture venues in Southern California. Since its inaugural season, The Soraya has presented over 500 artists and companies across the genres of music, dance, theater and film and is a highly in demand location for filming and rental events.
The Soraya's 2023/2024 Season boldly advances the expansive sound of orchestras both traditional and contemporary; the freestyle vibe of jazz; an array of dance luminaries, and a cultural bounty drawn from the musical well of global voices. The Soraya continues its vigorous commitment to innovating, excelling, and amplifying access by offering a wide variety of performances that reflect Los Angeles' many distinctive communities and featuring new and original work and artists from the local region as well as nationally and around the world.
Located on the vibrant campus of California State University Northridge (CSUN), The Soraya and the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication share an integral link that enhances student access and opportunities in the arts and performing arts. A $5 million contribution from record producer and former California Lieutenant Governor Mike Curb was pivotal in ensuring the completion and opening of The Soraya in 2011. For his founding support and in acknowledgment of the integral relationship between the Mike Curb College and The Soraya, Mike Curb is recognized as one of The Soraya's Cornerstone Benefactors. This partnership fosters academic and artistic excellence, elevating the talents and the future growth of CSUN's students through master classes, student tickets, concerts of student ensembles, and students appearing alongside renowned artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Aida Cuevas, and Martha Graham Dance Company.
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