Executive & Artistic Director
Thor Steingraber
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MILOŠ
Classical Guitar
Wed Jan 29 | 8pm
Onstage Chamber Concert
Run Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes including a 20-minute intermission
This program is generously underwritten by the Colburn Foundation.
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Program
WEISS: Fantasia in C minor and Passacaglia in D major
RAMEAU: “The Arts and the Hours” (from Les Boréades)
HANDEL: Minuet in G minor
BACH: Chaconne in D minor
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Intermission
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ISAAC ALBÉNIZ: “Asturias (Leyenda)”
SCARLATTI: Sonata in F major, K. 44
BARRIOS: Andante Religioso (from “La Catedral”)
ARLEN: “Over the Rainbow” (arranged by Tōru Takemitsu)
MATHIAS DUPLESSY: “Amor Fati”
Program Note
The Soraya has proudly showcased a variety of Baroque performances this season. A trio comprised of violinist Tessa Lark, cellist Joshua Roman, and composer and bassist Edgar Meyer launched the series by featuring their interpretations of Bach alongside Meyer’s original compositions. Then, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, led by mandolinist Avi Avital, provided audiences a revelatory version of one of Baroque’s most popular pieces, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, interwoven with traditional Venetian gondolier songs sung by Grammy Award-winning soprano Estelí Gomez.
Tonight, we conclude the onstage chamber music series with the return of foremost classical guitarist MILOŠ. His solo acoustic performance, featuring excerpts from his album Baroque, will showcase the instrument at its finest.
With these three concerts, I hoped to ignite your further interest in Baroque music, not only by engaging such expert interpreters, but also by the variety of their instruments: Meyer on bass, Avital on mandolin, and MILOŠ on guitar. This is the careful curation for which The Soraya’s intimate onstage chamber concerts have come to be known.
Gratefully,
Thor Steingraber
Executive and Artistic Director,
Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts
Terence Blanchard
Terence Blanchard made history in 2021 as the first Black composer to premiere an original opera at the Metropolitan Opera. Fire Shut Up in My Bones took the world by storm, and then he did it again in 2023 with another groundbreaking hit, Champion. A collaboration with Los Angeles Opera, The Soraya commissioned a world premiere of selections from both operas performed by Blanchard himself. The American trumpeter and film composer leads his own E-Collective and Turtle Island Quartet with baritone Justin Austin and soprano Adrienne Danrich.
MILOŠ
“A master of his instrument, with impeccable technique and a recognizable sound” — Los Angeles Times
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MILOŠ is one of the world’s most celebrated classical guitarists. His career began its meteoric rise in 2011, with the release of his international best-selling Deutsche Grammophon debut album Mediterráneo. Since then, he has earned legions of fans, awards, and acclaim around the world through his extensive touring, seven chart-topping recordings, and television appearances.
Now exclusive to Sony Classical, MILOŠ is committed to expanding the repertoire for the classical guitar. His first album for the label, Baroque, came out in October 2023 and presents a carefully curated selection of Baroque works especially transcribed and arranged for the guitar, both solo and in collaboration with Jonathan Cohen and his ensemble Arcangelo. Equally passionate about new music, his album The Moon & the Forest features two world premiere concertos, by Howard Shore and Joby Talbot.
Over the past decade, the instrument’s popularity has exploded thanks to MILOŠ’ pioneering approach. Aspiring guitarists can even learn from him through Schott’s “Play Guitar with Miloš” series. In 2016, BBC Music Magazine included him in their list of “Six of the Best Classical Guitarists” of the past century.
MILOŠ has appeared as a soloist with some of the world’s greatest orchestras including the London and LA philharmonics, Atlanta Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Orquesta Nacional de España, Santa Cecilia Rome, and NHK Tokyo. His first sold-out solo recital in the round at the Royal Albert Hall was lauded by the critics and became a worldwide sensation. He returned to the hall postpandemic in June 2022 to a full-capacity audience.
MILOŠ is the 2024 feature artist of the Prinsengracht concert in Amsterdam. Other recent and forthcoming highlights include debuts with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony and Alain Altinoglu for the annual Europe Open Air concert, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Korean National Symphony; return performances with the Atlanta and Detroit symphonies, Orchestre Métropolitain and OSM in Montreal, Hallé Orchestra, London Philharmonic, and City of Birmingham Symphony; extensive tours across the U.K., U.S. and China, as well as recitals in Japan, Spain, Oslo, San Francisco, and London, as well as the Verbier, Gstaad, and Bad Kissingen music festivals.
A passionate advocate for music education, MILOŠ is an active patron of numerous charities supporting young musicians in the U.K. and abroad. He recently launched the MILOŠ Foundation. Based in Porto Montenegro, this philanthropic organization aims to act as a regional hub of influence by empowering artistic excellence though various educational opportunities, partnerships, and close mentorship.
Born in Montenegro in 1983, MILOŠ moved to London to study at the Royal Academy of Music at the age of 17. He continues to live and work in London, while keeping close ties to his homeland. He performs on a 2017 Greg Smallman guitar.
Opus 3 Artists is the exclusive representative of MILOŠ.
Jazz at Naz
The annual Jazz at Naz festival has been recognized as one of the best winter jazz festivals on the West Coast as well as the jazz epicenter in Los Angeles. Jazz at Naz has showcased major debuts for emerging artists, such as two-time Grammy Award-winner Samara Joy, and created a home for the world’s jazz legends, such as John Pizzarelli, Branford Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, and Charles Lloyd. The festival has also turned the spotlight on influential crossover artists, such as Bobby and Taylor McFerrin, Diana Krall, Jon Batiste, Gregory Porter, Herb Alpert, and Lani Hall.
Returning after their sold-out debut last season, Pacific Jazz Orchestra opens the Jazz at Naz festival’s fourth season headlined by Eva Noblezada, a Grammy Award-winning and two-time Tony-nominated Broadway and West End star.
This season, The Soraya also welcomes saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, as well as the return of Christian McBride to the onstage, intimate Jazz Club for two nights each.
Fresh from a monthlong celebration of the music of the great Duke Ellington, Kennedy Center Artistic Director for Jazz Jason Moran returns to The Soraya for the fourth time to continue the festivities honoring the Duke’s enduring legacy and his 125th birthday. In addition to entertaining from the piano, Moran will lead CSUN’s award-winning Jazz “A” big band to join him in furthering The Soraya’s ongoing commitment to music and arts education.
Also presented in the Great Hall during the Jazz at Naz festival will be Kurt Elling Celebrates Weather Report with Yellowjackets, and Chucho Valdés who brings Irakere back to life honoring its 50th anniversary with special guest Arturo Sandoval in a return engagement.
You Belong Here
This is your opportunity to belong to something special. Our 2024-25 Members enjoy exclusive experiences, such as the Member Appreciation Night for all Members, special events and artist meet-and-greets (Silver Members and above), private pre-performance artist salons (Silver Members and above), our festive holiday party, the annual Director’s Dinner in 2025 (Platinum Members), and more — as well as priority access to your preferred seats, your very own Members Only Seating Section, and exclusive savings when you select five or more performances. Most importantly, Member benefits are valid all season.
Beyond the benefits, Members drive our mission to present the highest caliber artists who captivate, inspire, and transport our audiences. Here, Members are part of a growing community of arts lovers connected by the joy of shared human experience. Here, Members belong.
About Us
The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts is an award-winning, 1,700-seat theater that opened in 2011 and was designed by HGA Architects and Engineers. In 2017, a transformative gift by Younes and Soraya Nazarian dubbed the venue The Soraya (formerly the Valley Performing Arts Center). A vibrant performance program has served to establish The Soraya as the intellectual and cultural heart of the San Fernando Valley and its 1.8 million residents, and further establish The Soraya as one of the top arts companies in Southern California.
The Soraya’s 2024-25 Season boldly advances the immersive sound of big orchestras; the free flow of jazz; an array of dance; and a cultural bounty drawn from the well of world traditions. 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.
Located on the vibrant campus of the California State University, Northridge, The Soraya and the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication share an integral link that enhances student opportunities in the arts and performing arts. This partnership fosters academic opportunity and artistic excellence, elevating the talents of CSUN’s students.
A $5 million contribution from record producer and former California Lieutenant Governor Mike Curb was pivotal in ensuring The Soraya was completed and opened in 2011. For his founding support and in acknowledgment of the integral relationship between the Mike Curb College and The Soraya, Curb is recognized as one of The Soraya’s Cornerstone Benefactors. The relationship between The Soraya and the Mike Curb College continues to grow, with robust offerings for 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.