15th Annniversary Season Announced!

Hello friends,

It’s that special time again—Season Opening! We are delighted to unveil Soka Performing Arts Center’s 15th Anniversary Season—a milestone year filled with gratitude, celebration, and exceptional artistry. We remain deeply committed to our mission to engage, educate, and elevate the human spirit through the power of the performing arts. This year’s lineup is a vibrant reflection of that mission. Join us as we embark on a captivating journey of artistic discovery, cultural richness, and moments of profound inspiration

The magic of live performance lies in those unforgettable moments of connection between artist and audience—when we are transported beyond the everyday, when we find joy, reflection, and a sense of shared humanity. At Soka Performing Arts Center, our steadfast commitment is to provide you with those moments—an experience that is not just heard, but deeply felt.

We launch this remarkable season with the extraordinary artistry of world-renowned pianist Daniil Trifonov, performing works by Taneyev, Prokofiev, Myaskovsky, and Schumann. Our concert hall—acoustically perfected by master acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota—was designed with solo piano in mind, offering one of the most exquisite recital experiences in the world. This concert was first offered as a sneak preview in July and is expected to sell out, so we encourage you to secure your seats early.

Our Great Pianists series continues with breathtaking performances by GRAMMY® Award winner Yefim Bronfman, the incomparable Marc-André Hamelin, celebrated interpreter Angela Hewitt, and rising star Shunta Morimoto with Nathan Le and the Four Seasons Orchestra, conducted by Scott Dunn.

Other classical highlights include welcoming Alexander Shelley, the newly appointed Music Director of Pacific Symphony, to our stage for the first time as part of our Sundays@Soka series. As the official home of the Pacific Symphony Chamber Orchestra, we look forward to this exciting new chapter of collaboration. We will bookend this welcoming of the new with a poignant milestone: Carl St.Clair’s final appearance conducting the Pacific Symphony Chamber Orchestra from our stage for the close of our season in April. In our continued partnership with the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, we will co-present several magnificent ensembles including the inspirational Academy of St Martin in the Fields with Joshua Bell, the angelic Vienna Boys Choir, and the brilliant classical guitarists Assad Brothers on their 60th Anniversary Farewell Tour.

On the jazz front, we welcome back NEA Jazz Master and Downbeat Magazine’s Artist of the Year Charles Lloyd, the creative genius of Don Was, (music industry luminary and multi-faceted creative who lists musician, music producer, director, composer, and more among his credentials), and a heartfelt tribute to David Bowie by the band who toured with him for years - Mike Garson: Bowie’s Piano Man Celebrates the Legacy.

Our singer-songwriter and global music offerings include GRAMMY®-winning singer-songwriters Karla Bonoff and Dan Navarro joining forces for an intimate evening of storytelling and song, the return of Celtic Christmas (the exquisite holiday celebration of festive music from the Christmas traditions of Celtic nations around the world with Titanic piper Eric Rigler), and GRAMMY® winners Ranky Tanky, bringing the vibrant soul of Gullah musicto our stage. We also welcome the future-folk genre-blending music of Trevor Hall, sure to uplift and energize.

Our partnership with South Coast Symphony brings Celebrating Black Artists during Black History month, and the always-inspiring Young Stars of the Future showcase. 

In opera and orchestral programming, we are proud to present Puccini’s Tosca, in collaboration with the Parnassus Society. 

As always, parking for all performances is complimentary, which helps to keep your concert experience as affordable as possible. 

Whether you have been a supporter since the very beginning, for many seasons, or just joined our family of subscribers, you are very important to us. On behalf of the entire team here at Soka Performing Arts Center, thank you for being an integral part of the Soka family.

We are honored to share this extraordinary season with you and hope it brings you joy, connection, and wonder. We look forward to seeing you this season to LISTEN. FEEL. TRANSFORM.

Renee Bodie, General Manager

Soka Performing Arts Center