Soka Performing Arts Center at Soka University of America
Roberta Gambarini & Tamir Hendelman
Roberta Gambarini & Tamir Hendelman
Roberta Gambarini
vocals
Three-time GRAMMY®-nominated international vocal powerhouse Roberta Gambarini burst onto the world’s jazz scene in 1998 when she became one of the runner-ups in the Thelonious Monk Jazz Vocal Competition.
Her performance on the Smithsonian Auditorium stage in Washington, D.C. stunned both judges and the audience alike, launching a decades-long stellar career that has earned her the love of audiences in the U.S. and worldwide. From Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl to jazz festivals such as Monterey and Newport, and from NYC’s Blue Note Jazz Club to Salle Pleyel in Paris and Royal Albert Hall in London, Roberta has performed at many prestigious venues.
She has performed, recorded, and toured extensively with most of the greatest masters of jazz, including James Moody, Clark Terry, Roy Hargrove, Jimmy Heath, Hank Jones, Billy Higgins, Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker, Dave Brubeck, the Dizzy Gillespie All Stars Big Band, Jon Batiste, Chucho Valdés, Paquito D’Rivera, and many more.
Her work has been rewarded with multiple accolades, such as three GRAMMY® nominations (two for Jazz Vocal Album of the Year for her albums Easy to Love and So in Love, and one for her work on the iconic Roy Hargrove Big Band album
Emergence). She also received the French National Jazz Academy’s Vocal Album of the Year prize for her album You Are There, a duo with jazz giant and former Ella Fitzgerald pianist Hank Jones. Additionally, she was awarded the Jazz Singer of the Year prize twice by the International Association of Jazz Journalists, DownBeat Magazine’s Best Rising Vocal Star and Singer of the Year award, and many more honors.
Roberta continues to tour and record with her acclaimed quartet, while also constantly expanding her repertoire and embracing new musical adventures. These include collaborations with Cuban jazz great Paquito D’Rivera, jazz master Cyrus Chestnut, and nuevo tango master Pablo Ziegler.
In recognition of her global standing as one of today’s leading voices in jazz and her many contributions to the vocal arts, in 2023, the French Ministry of Culture honored Roberta with its highest distinction for artists: the title of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres.
Tamir Hendelman
piano
Pianist, composer, and arranger Tamir Hendelman is known for his dynamic playing and imaginative arranging on his own trio recordings, as well as those of the Jeff Hamilton Trio and the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra since 2000-2001. He has also worked with Natalie Cole, Barbra Streisand, Roberta Gambarini, Graham Dechter, Richard Galliano, and Claudio Roditi.
As a youth, he moved from Tel Aviv to Los Angeles, where he won Yamaha’s national keyboard competition, performed in Japan and at the Kennedy Center, attended Tanglewood in 1998, and received a Bachelor of Music in Composition from the Eastman School of Music in 1993, after studies with pianist/composers Clare Fischer and Billy Childs.
In 2001, Tamir Hendelman premiered John Clayton’s version of Oscar Peterson’s Canadiana Suite with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. He has performed with the Winston-Salem Symphony, Arizona MusicFest, and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestras, and was recently one of several UCLA composers commissioned for pianist Inna Faliks’ Reimagine Project. He has been on the faculty of UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music since 2005 and has given numerous workshops at universities and music programs in the U.S. and abroad.
His latest CD, Destinations, reached #1 on the U.S. jazz charts and features music by Jobim, Jarrett, Ravel, as well as originals. His first recording, Playground, featuring John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton, also reached the top of the charts. Recent recordings include Graham Dechter’s Minor Influence and the Jeff Hamilton Trio’s Catch Me If You Can.
BluePort Jazz
Dr. Jim Merod
Dr. Jim Merod is a professor of American Literature at Soka University and has a Ph.D. from Stanford University. Merod has been heavily involved in the jazz scene for more than 20 years as a recording and mastering engineer, working with legendary jazz and blues musicians such as Tito Puente, Joe Lovano, Tommy Flanagan, Sarah Vaughan, Eddie Palmieri, Wynton Marsalis, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Tolu, Los Lobos, Ozomatli, and Luciana Souza. Merod helps cultivate the culture of jazz at SUA through BluePort Jazz’s partnership with Soka Performing Arts Center.
Merod’s contribution to the jazz world is not limited to his engineering work. He is also the co-author of legendary composer-saxophonist Benny Golson’s autobiography. Through his founding of BluePort Sound recording studio and BluePort Jazz record label, Merod has established himself as an important figure in the jazz community. His dedication to jazz has helped make Elario’s Jazz Club, in La Jolla, California, one of the premier jazz venues on the west coast.
Aside from his work in the music industry, Merod has also been a teacher, critic, and writer. He attributes his intellectual growth to his influential teachers at Princeton, Middlebury College, and Stanford,
such as R. P. Blackmur, Walter Kaufman, William Arrowsmith, Harold Bloom, David Halliburton, Bliss Carnochan, and his friend and colleague at Cornell, A. R. Ammons.
With his vast experience in both academia and the music industry, Jim Merod has left a remarkable impact on the world of jazz and is highly respected for his contributions to the genre.
Isaiah Collier
& The Chosen Few
Prepare for a transformative musical journey as Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few take you on an unforgettable ride through the heart of jazz. With a sound rooted in tradition but always pushing forward, Isaiah’s artistry embodies both power and soul, leaving audiences mesmerized and moved. This is more than just a concert—it’s an experience that will resonate long after the final note.
SATURDAY, NOV. 9, 2024 | 8PM
Concessions
A wide variety of wine, beer, soft drinks and freshly prepared snacks will be available before the concert and during intermission in the lobby.
Artist Drink Pick
Ginger Lime Sparkler
We asked the artists for their favorite drink pick to feature at concessions! A Ginger Lime Sparkler was chosen by Tamir Hendelman & will be available for purchase before the performance & during intermission.
Click here for menu and to order
Pre-order your concessions and skip the line during intermission!
Our mission is to Engage, Educate, and Elevate the Human Spirit
Soka Performing Arts Center strives to elevate humanity through transcendent experiences. Come experience our exquisite acoustics. Come to expand your understanding and appreciation of music. Come to forge community and emotional connections through the shared experience of live music.
Soka Performing Arts Center is located on the beautiful hilltop campus of Soka University of America in Aliso Viejo. Our facility includes the 1,042seat Concert Hall featuring world-class acoustics designed by master acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, designer of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and Suntory Hall in Tokyo, among many others. We also have an intimate 350-seat Black Box Theatre that allows for multiple seating configurations including club seating with bistro tables.
More than 750 performances have taken place since the center’s dedication on May 27, 2011. The 2024-25 season marks our thirteenth season presenting first-class programming in our world-class concert hall. We are continuing to expand our programming and outreach with the addition of a Children’s Concert Series and the only Great Pianists Series on the West Coast. From classical and jazz to world and contemporary music, the Soka Performing Arts Center has become a prized space for artists and audiences alike.
We are proud to be the home of the Pacific Symphony Chamber Orchestra. Our Sundays @ Soka Series with Pacific Symphony continues to be one of our most popular series year after year. Our presentations with other Orange County arts organizations have enabled us to reach further into our community to offer arts education and programming. Our partnership with the Philharmonic Society of Orange County includes our PSOC Series, which brings superlative artists to our stage. We also partner with PSOC for our Outreach Program, bringing over 7,000 school children to Soka Performing Arts Center to experience live performances with outstanding musicians.
With its world-class acoustics and first-class performances, Soka Performing Arts Center is quickly becoming one of the cultural jewels of Orange County.
OUR SUPPORTERS
DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE ($75,000+)
Dr. Kenneth & Sandra Tokita
Sam* & Lyndie Ersan
CONCERTMASTER ($10,000+)
Ms. Emi Maeda
STAGE CHAMPION ($5000+)
Anonymous
STAGE BENEFACTOR ($1000+)
John and Sue Prange
Terumi Saito
Jochen Schumacher
Scott A Shuping
GOLD CLEF ($500+)
Jeffrey Hendrix
Jane A. Lynch
Alex & Sandy Scott
SILVER CLEF ($200+)
Renée Bodie
Judy Kaufman
Lorraine Leiser
Anson and Marilyn Wong
BRONZE CLEF ($25+)
Anonymous
Raquel Bruno
Sam Chang
Kenneth Hanawa
Jeannette Pease
Thomas Prigorac
Jonia Suri
Naomi Uchiyama
Joseph Whitaker
Joyce M Wrice
Taro Yamanashi
Anonymous
* Deceased
List current as of 09/26/2024
The Soka Performing Arts Center deeply appreciates the support of its sponsors and donors, and makes every effort to ensure accurate and appropriate recognition. Contact Renée Bodie, General Manager at (949) 480-4821 to make us aware of any error or omission in the foregoing list.
Our subscription and renewal program provides you with even more flexibility in our season packages*. With our enhanced program, you now have the power to curate your very own unique experience.
• 15% Discount for a 3 performance package
• 18% Discount for a 4 performance package
• 20% Discount for a 5+ performance package
*full details online at soka.edu/pac
OUR PARTNERS
• Blueport Jazz
• Philharmonic Society of Orange County
• Pacific Symphony
• Parnassus Society
SOKA PAC MANAGEMENT TEAM
Renée Bodie
General Manager & Artistic Director
John Morgan
Box Office Manager
Jarmil Maupin Technical Services Manager
Antoinette Rossman House Manager/Assistant to the General Manager
Jaime Spataro
Marketing & Communications Manager
Joe Nicholls
Marketing & Communications Assistant
Steve Baker Production Manager
Aadya Agrawal Stage Manager
SokaPAC
@SokaPAC
SokaPerformingArtsCenter @SokaPAC
Website soka.edu/pac
SOKA
Soka Performing Arts Center resides on the beautiful campus of Soka University of America. We thank the SUA Board of Trustees and the SUA Leadership Council for all of their support.
SUA BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Stephen S. Dunham, JD | CHAIR
Vice President and General Counsel Emeritus, Pennsylvania State University | Baltimore, Maryland
Tariq Hasan, PhD | VICE CHAIR
Chief Executive Officer, SGI-USA | New York, New York
Andrea Bartoli, PhD
President, Sant’Egidio Foundation for Peace and Dialogue | New York, New York
Matilda Buck
Benefactor | Los Angeles, California
Lawrence E. Carter, Sr, PhD, DD, DH, DRS
Dean, Professor of Religion, College Archivist and Curator, Morehouse College | Atlanta, Georgia
Andy Firoved
CEO, HOTB Software | Irvine, California
Jason Goulah, PhD
Professor of Bilingual-Bicultural Education and Director, Institute for Daisaku Ikeda Studies in Education, Director of Programs in Bilingual-Bicultural Education, World Language Education, and Value-Creating Education for Global Citizenship, College of Education, DePaul University | Chicago, Illinois
Clothilde V. Hewlett, JD
Commissioner of Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, State of California | San Francisco, California
Karen Lewis, PhD
Sondheimer Professor of International Finance and Co-Director, Weiss Center for International Financial Research, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Luis Nieves
Founder, Chairman Emeritus AUL Corp, Benefactor | Napa, California
Isabel Nuñez, PhD, MPhil, JD
Professor of Educational Studies, Dean of School of Education, Purdue University Fort Wayne | Fort Wayne, Indiana
Gene Marie O’Connell, RN, MS
Health Care Consultant, Associate Clinical Professor, University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing | Corte Madera, California
Adin Strauss
General Director, Soka Gakkai International-USA | Santa Monica, California
Yoshiki Tanigawa
Benefactor, Soka Gakkai | Tokyo, Japan
Gregg S. Wolpert
Co-president, The Stahl Organization | New York, New York
Edward M. Feasel, PhD
President, Soka University of America (ex-officio member) | Aliso Viejo, California
Edward M. Feasel, PhD
President
Chief Academic Officer
Professor of Economics
Archibald E. Asawa
Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Investment Officer
Katherine M. King, PHR
Executive Vice President of University
Community
Chief Human Resources Officer
Title IX and Section 504 Coordinator for Faculty, Staff and Others
Michael Weiner, PhD
Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Professor of East Asian History & International Studies
Bryan E. Penprase, PhD
Vice President for Sponsored Research and External Academic Relations Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Tomoko Takahashi, PhD, EdD, LHD
Vice President for Institutional Research and Assessment
Dean of the Graduate School Professor of Linguistics and Education
David Welch, JD Vice President University Counsel
M. Robert Hamersley, PhD Dean of Faculty Professor of Environmental Biogeochemistry
Hyon J. Moon, EdD Dean of Students
Title IX and Section 504 Deputy Coordinator for Students
Michelle Hobby-Mears, MBA Associate Dean of Students Director of Student Activities
Andrew Woolsey, EdD Dean of Enrollment Services
Martin Beck, MA
Executive Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications
