Executive & Artistic Director
Thor Steingraber
________
Tigran Hamasyan
Manifeste
Sat Mar 7 | 8PM
Run time: approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes with no intermission ________ Generously underwritten by Varoujan Chakarian ________ Program | Program Note
About the Program | Tigran Hamasyan
An Interview With Tigran Hamasyan
________
Securing The Soraya’s Future
Support the Thor Steingraber Fund for Artistic Innovation to help us continue to bring new works, world premieres, and bold collaborations to life
In the fall of 2015, my family and I attended a performance at the Valley Performing Arts Center at CSUN. My son, David, had received his undergraduate degree from CSUN many years prior, and we were pleased to see how the campus had grown. The recollections that stand out most in my memory from that evening were the extraordinary venue, its artistic excellence, and my first time meeting Thor Steingraber. For those reasons, my family decided in 2017 to invest in The Soraya’s future and long-term sustainability. In the 10 years since, we have come to know Thor and his vision. Through his leadership, we have witnessed values we so admire come to life on this stage — in the artists, their work, and the experiences they create for Los Angeles’ many communities and for CSUN students. Thor’s dedication and imagination serve so many, and it is my wish that his legacy be preserved. In honor and recognition of Thor’s accomplishments, I am pleased to announce a new fund supporting the art and artists who will continue this work: the Thor Steingraber Fund for Artistic Innovation. From the performance that first introduced my family to this majestic venue a decade ago, to the many moments of beauty and inspiration that have graced its stage since, we have Thor to thank. I hope you will join me and my family in supporting this effort — to ensure that these performances, and the spirit they embody, thrive long into the future.
— Soraya Sarah Nazarian
Program Note
In its relatively short history, The Soraya has presented artists from over 40 nations. This is no coincidence. Global artistry is a key piece of our mission, as well as our commitment to the many diverse communities of Los Angeles. This month, we have curated programs that represent Armenia, Mexico, Argentina, and West Africa. In the case of Ballet Hispánico, we present their version of Carmen, a Spanish story told in a French opera adapted by a New York dance company. While these performances each serve unique audiences, they are also an opportunity for us to come together to set aside our identities and individual tastes — to adopt a broad and inclusive stance, to learn, to celebrate. A decade ago, when contemplating our programs and commitment to international artistry and culture, I wrote a version of these words below. As conflict escalates on multiple continents, I believe they resonate today as they did then. “Music Knows No Borders” The concert hall is an inclusive place. Hands clap and feet stomp regardless of nation of origin, religion, or cultural background. The communal joy of music is immediate and intergenerational. Music does not discriminate. Some borders are ancient — forged in mountains or carved by rivers. Other borders are man-made — ephemeral, arbitrary, disputed. Music unites across geography. It flows, permeates, and transcends. Music knows no borders. Friday jazz descends from Sunday worship. Radio call letters cannot divide classical music from country. Latin rhythms were born from African beats. Even sacred music is nondenominational. Melody and rhythm are universal. Music thrives in Los Angeles at the crossroads of three continents, in the world’s creative capital. From the experimental to the traditional, we give voice to them all at The Soraya. This is the foremost value, onstage and anywhere people gather here.
Gratefully,
Thor Steingraber
Executive and Artistic Director, Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts
About the Program
Celebrated pianist and composer Tigran Hamasyan presents Manifeste, a sonic statement infusing the deep spiritual traditions of his Armenian heritage throughout. Released on Feb. 6, 2026, via Naïve Records, the album marks a new chapter for one of the most visionary artists working at the intersection of jazz, progressive rock, and global music. Recorded between 2023 and 2025 across studios in Yerevan, Armenia, Athens, Greece, Moscow, Los Angeles, and beyond, Manifeste emerges as both a deeply personal declaration and a vivid portrait of seeking, the joy of creation, and spiritual transformation. Following his acclaimed 2024 double album, The Bird of a Thousand Voices, Hamasyan continues his fearless artistic exploration with a work that unfolds in ritual sequence. From the meditative “Prelude for All Seekers” to the powerful “National Repentance Anthem,” the record weaves together rhythmic complexity and spiritual depth with a fresh, progressive aesthetic.
________
Tigran Hamasyan
Tigran Hamasyan is considered one of the most remarkable and distinctive jazz-meets-rock pianists/composers of his generation. A piano virtuoso with groove power, Hamasyan seamlessly fuses potent jazz improvisation and progressive rock with the rich folkloric music of his native Armenia. Born in Gyumri, Armenia, in 1987, his musical journey began in his childhood home, where he was exposed to a diverse array of musical influences. Hamasyan began playing piano at the age of 3, performing in festivals and competitions by the time he was 11, and winning the Montreux Jazz Festival’s piano competition in 2003. He released his debut album, World Passion, in 2004, at the age of 17. He also won the prestigious 2006 Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Piano Competition. Additional albums include New Era, Red Hail, A Fable, for which he was awarded France’s Victoires de la Musique; Shadow Theater, and Luys i Luso, which featured the Yerevan State Chamber Choir focusing on Armenian sacred music stretching stylistically from the fifth century to the 20th century. Hamasyan’s Nonesuch debut, Mockroot (2015), won the Echo Jazz Award for International Piano Instrumentalist of the Year; subsequent records for the label include An Ancient Observer (2017) the companion EP, For Gymuri (2018), Revisiting the Film (2021) and StandArt (2022). He was awarded the Deutscher Jazzpreis international category in piano/keyboards in 2021. Hamasyan has released records on France’s Plus Loin Music, Universal Music France, Nonesuch, and ECM. Hamasyan’s conceptual album The Bird of a Thousand Voices was released in August 2024 on Naïve/Believe, his debut with the label. He composed, scored, and arranged the much-anticipated project blending its traditional folk footprints with rock influences. The first single from the album, “The Kingdom,” can also be experienced as an interactive game at bird1000.com. The double album is inspired by an ancient Armenian tale in which a hero travels into unseen realms to find and bring back a mythical bird whose thousand different songs will awaken people again and bring harmony to the world. The transmedia music theater piece The Bird of a Thousand Voices, an intriguing immersive light installation with shadow play, digitally programmed voices, live music, and an Armenian-English libretto, premiered at the Holland Festival in June 2024. In addition to awards and critical acclaim, Hamasyan has built a dedicated following worldwide, as well as praise from Herbie Hancock, Brad Mehldau, and the late Chick Corea. NPR has praised Hamasyan’s “startling combinations of jazz, minimalist, electronic, folk and songwriterly elements … Hamasyan and his collaborators travel musical expanses marked with heavy grooves, ethereal voices, pristine piano playing, and ancient melodies. You’ll hear nothing else like this.” With Manifeste, Hamasyan crystalizes his profound artistic vision, merging the mythical with the modern in a work that stands as both spiritual journey and sonic innovation.
An Interview With Tigran Hamasyan
The Soraya
The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya/Producer) is an award-winning, state-of-the-art 1,700-seat theater that opened in 2011 as the Valley Performing Arts Center. Through a transformative gift by Younes and Soraya Nazarian, the venue was renamed The Soraya in 2017. The Soraya is located on the campus of California State University, Northridge, the intellectual and cultural heart of the San Fernando Valley.
Executive and Artistic Director Thor Steingraber, in his 12th year leading the organization, sums up what makes The Soraya a central piece of Los Angeles arts and culture. “At The Soraya, we hold a high standard of excellence for every performance from a vast array of artistic disciplines, and we hold steadfast to our commitment to the value and impact of the performing arts in community-building, for the Valley’s 1.8 million residents and beyond.”
The Soraya’s 2025–26 Season is a journey through the expansive sounds of orchestras, the freestyle vibes of jazz, the innovations of dance luminaries, and a vast array of global voices. The Soraya continues its vigorous commitment to excelling, innovating, and amplifying access for Valley residents, students, and arts lovers across Southern California.