Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Dawn Upshaw & More Announced for The Soraya 2022-2023 Classical Music Season

Subscription tickets to the 2022-23 Premium Classical Series of seven extraordinary concerts are on sale now through May 24 at The Soraya.org. Only Premium Classical Series subscribers will be guaranteed tickets to the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra concert on Saturday, November 5 at 8pm.

"Geopolitics and other circumstances have changed many things related to orchestra touring this year, and in response we have the opportunity to engage artists we may not have otherwise presented," said Thor Steingraber, Executive and Artistic Director of the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts. "The result this season provides greater breadth among classical artists than we've had in previous seasons."

The Soraya's 2022-23 Premium Classical Series concerts spotlight star soloists, world renowned orchestras, and intimate chamber music that will reverberate within the walls of The Soraya's pristine acoustics. Today's news of the Premium Classical Series on-sale dates is the first of several of The Soraya's 2022-23 season announcements that that will be released in the coming weeks. Later this month, The Soraya will announce details about the Signature Series of 16 events, the 2022 Holiday programming, plus the launch date of The Soraya's new website and ticketing system that will further enhance the live music experience for all audiences.

An Evening of Firsts

The Israel Philharmonic makes an historic Soraya debut on Saturday, November 5 with new music director Lahav Shani who will provide The Soraya another milestone - the first ever Mahler symphony to resound in the Great Hall. This is a concert event that is sure to sell out!

Extraordinary Talents

Pianists Hél?-ne Grimaud and Conrad Tao, and renowned soprano Dawn Upshaw - a trio of superstars - offer new ways of interpreting classical works from Mozart, Rachmaninoff, and Purcell. Masters of their instruments, these musicians will enthrall audiences and il­luminate a bridge from each composer's era to the 21st Century.

Rachmaninoff at 150

The last of the Romantics, Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff forged a new musical path for modern composers.

The Soraya celebrates Rachmaninoff's piano prowess - both as a performer and composer - and the 150th anniversary of his birth with two stellar performances. The artist not only influenced the lush Hollywood sound of movie-music, but also frequented New York Jazz clubs for creative inspiration after his emigration from Russia in 1917.

The Sitkovetsky Trio kicks off our celebration on Sunday, March 5, 2023 with the composer's early work, Trio Eligiaque and then piano wonder Conrad Tao juxtaposes the piano works of Art Tatum and Billy Strayhorn with modern interpretations of Rachmaninoff's piano études on Thursday, April 6.

About The Soraya's Premium Classical Series

The Premium Classical Series returns for The Soraya's 2022-23 Season and is available for purchase Now through May 24, only.
The Premium Classical Series guarantees:
• the lowest price
• Select and keep your favorite seats for all seven concerts
• Premium Seating for Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
• Get two free tickets to a holiday concert of your choice (some restrictions apply)
• Unlock a free $120 membership

Series prices range from $478 for Parterre seating to $665 for Orchestra seating.

The Soraya's popular 16 event Signature Series will go on Sale to Members June 1.

The Soraya has a new ticketing system! Make sure to ask our Ticket Office how to set up your new account. To subscribe today go to TheSoraya.org/Premium-Classical

or call the Ticket Office at (818) 677-3000.

The 2022-23 Premium Classical Series

Sat, Nov 5, 2022 at 8pm

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra; Lahav Shani, Musical Director and Conductor
Mahler, Symphony No. 1
An evening of firsts - the Israel Philharmonic makes a historic Soraya debut with new music director Lahav Shani who inherited the role from Los Angeles' beloved Zubin Mehta. Shani will provide The Soraya another milestone - the first ever Mahler symphony to resound in the Great Hall.

Dedicated to uplifting Israel's creative artists and composers, the orchestra will open the concert with the foremost Israeli composer of classical music, Paul Ben-Haim whose works uplifted Jewish life as the nation of Israel was first forming in the shadow of World War II.

Thu, Jan 26, 2023 at 8pm / Great Hall

Hélène Grimaud Plays Silvestrov and Mozart with Wild Up; Christopher Rountree, Music Director and Conductor
French pianist Hélène Grimaud celebrates contemporary Ukrainian composer Valentyn Silvestrov, pairing his music with none other than Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The restless and revered pianist has dominated classical music for three decades, not only with her dazzling performances, but for her many other passions as well, including wildlife conservation and the wolf sanctuary she founded.

She will join forces with Soraya favorite Christopher Rountree and his ensemble Wild Up for this one-of-a-kind musical pairing. Beginning with Mozart's dark and stormy Piano Concerto in D Minor, the concert transitions into Silvestrov's The Messenger that offers both a response to, and an echo of, Mozart's music. Grimaud will also perform Silvestrov's Two Dialogues with Postscript with its echoes of both Schubert and Wagner.

Wed, Feb 15, 2023 at 8pm / Great Hall

Filharmonie Brno Perform music by Czech composers Dvořák, Janáček, and Martinů;
Dennis Russell Davies, Chief Conductor and Artistic Director
This concert takes audiences on a journey to historic Czechoslovakia. The pastoral landscape and folklore of Eastern Europe are brought to life through the music of three esteemed Czech composers - Dvořák, Janáček, and Martinů - performed by the Czech Republic's own Brno Philharmonic. This authentic and memorable program recalls the spirit of the Czech people during its bucolic pre-World-War II empire.

Sun, Mar 5, 2023 at 7pm / Onstage Sessions

The Sitkovetsky Trio Perform Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Mendelssohn and a Premiere by Julia Adolphe
The Sitkovetsky Trio celebrates Sergei Rachmaninoff's 150th birthday performing his Trio Eligiaque, composed for piano, violin and cello when he was 18-years old. In addition to Ravel's technically challenging trio and Mendelssohn's richly harmonic trio No. 2, Sitkovetsky Trio will premiere a new work by L.A. based composer Julia Adolphe whose music is described as "alive with invention."

This concert is part of The Soraya's intimate, on-stage seating chamber series designed to place audiences in the very heart of the performance.

Thu, Apr 6, 2023 at 8pm / Great Hall

Conrad Tao Plays Rachmaninoff
Firebrand pianist Conrad Tao is shaping the future of classical music through his rich and unique interpretations of the Classical Canon.

For his debut appearance at The Soraya, the prodigy breaks open Rachmaninoff, reflecting on the composer's contemporary influence in celebration of the 150th anniversary of his birth. Weaving in contemporary works from Stephen Sondheim, Billy Strayhorn, and Art Tatum with improvisations on Rachmaninoff's breathtakingly lush melodies, Tao illuminates the work for new generations of music lovers.

Thu, Apr 20, 2023 at 8pm / Great Hall

Dawn Upshaw Performs Dido Reimagined with Brentano String Quarte and new music by Melinda Wagner
With five Grammy Awards and more than 50 albums to her credit, few sopranos equal Dawn Upshaw's commitment to music of every ilk, from classics to contemporary. In this much heralded project, she joins with Pulitzer Prize-winning Melinda Wagner to build a bridge to the present day, providing Virgil's tragic love story with a contemporary musical exploration. Purcell's exquisite Baroque opera is considered one of the earliest operas, and 330 years later, is still considered a monumental undertaking for any soprano.

In this fresh rendition of the forsaken lover, Upshaw will demonstrate why she is one of the foremost interpreters of music and drama. She will be accompanied by the Brentano Quartet, hailed by The New York Times for their "luxuriously warm sound [and] yearning lyricism."

Wed & Thu, May 10 & 11, 2023 at 8pm / Onstage Sessions

Delirium Musicum Chamber Orchestra with Artist in Residence Etienne Gara Perform Four Seasons Reimagined by Max Richter and Philip Glass
In the signature style of a young artist shaking up the classical music scene, violinist and Soraya's Artist-in-Residence Étienne Gara leads an ensemble renowned for its fearless interpretations that the San Francisco Classical Voice calls "ferocious and rhythmically mesmerizing."

This is a rare opportunity to experience the works of two contemporary composers - Philip Glass and Max Richter - written in response to Vivaldi's beloved The Four Seasons. This concert is part of The Soraya's intimate, on-stage seating chamber series designed to place the audience in the very heart of the performance.

About The Soraya

Located on the vibrant and diverse campus of California State University in the heart of Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley, The Soraya continues its vigorous commitment to innovating, excelling, and amplifying access by offering a wide variety of performances that reflect LA's many distinctive communities and featuring new and original work from the Los Angeles region as well as artists from around the world.

The Soraya's upcoming 2022-23 season offers a joy-filled reunion featuring a vibrant program of nearly 50 classical and popular music, dance, theater, family, and international events that will further establish it as one of the top arts companies in Southern California that uplifts and inspires its audiences.

Where: Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya)
18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330.
Website: www.thesoraya.org
Phone: 818-677-3000

Photo Credit: Shai Skiff

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