The Soraya's Gala Evening Honors Joshua Bell and former CSUN President Jolene Koester
The occasion marks Bell’s ninth performance with The Soraya.
By: Stephi Wild Mar. 26, 2024
The ever-popular Academy of St Martin in the Fields, under the musical direction of renowned violin soloist Joshua Bell, returns to The Soraya with a program offering operatic highlights from Rossini and Mozart, plus symphonic work by Brahms, Mendelssohn and Saint-Saëns. The occasion marks Bell’s ninth performance with The Soraya.
“As we welcome back Joshua Bell, it seemed to be a fitting moment to honor the artist who’s appeared most on The Soraya stage alongside the person who is most responsible for The Soraya’s existence, former CSUN President Jolene Koester,” said Thor Steingraber, Executive and Artistic Director. “Both Jolene and Joshua set The Soraya bar of excellence for all of us who followed in their footsteps.”
About the Gala Celebration
The Gala Benefit honors the individual most responsible for The Soraya – former CSUN President Jolene Koester who moved state and local leaders and philanthropists with her vision and perseverance to open The Soraya in 2011. Now, with more than four decades of service to higher education and the state of California, Koester returns to The Soraya to be honored alongside Joshua Bell, the foremost violinist of his generation. Bell’s world travels have brought him to The Soraya more frequently than any other artist. This occasion marks his ninth time with The Soraya. This time he leads Academy of St Martin in the Fields, for which he serves as Music Director.
Proceed from The Soraya’s gala will benefit the organization’s arts education program. For information on Gala tickets, please visit TheSoraya.org/Gala. For tickets to the concert, click here.
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