Colburn Orchestra and Carlos Miguel Prieto at The Soraya

Carlos Miguel Prieto is coming back to The Soraya on Sunday, October 4, to conduct the Colburn Orchestra. He led the same group on the same stage last season, and the hall liked it enough to invite him again. The Discover Los Angeles listing puts the concert at 3pm, wrapping up around 5pm. If you're hunting for concerts in Los Angeles that don't cost a night's pay, this one's worth a look.

Who's playing

The Colburn Orchestra is the flagship ensemble of the Colburn Conservatory, the college-level music school attached to the Colburn School in downtown LA. The players are students, most of them in their late teens and early twenties, and many are a year or two away from winning seats in professional orchestras. That's the point of this series. The Soraya has brought a major name from the orchestral world out to Northridge to lead these students each season, and this is the 13th year it has done so.

Prieto is Mexican, he's won a GRAMMY, and he's known for pushing new music and music education. Both of those show up in how he programs for young players. The venue hasn't spelled out the full repertoire on the listing, so check The Soraya's own page before you go if a particular piece matters to you.

Why a student orchestra is worth your Sunday

A conservatory orchestra plays with a kind of all-in energy you rarely get from a group that's performed the same symphony forty times. Every section is trying to impress the person on the podium. You also get a full-size orchestra: the promo photo shows two harps and a deep row of cellos on stage.

The Soraya itself helps. It's a modern concert hall on the Cal State Northridge campus with wood-paneled walls and a stage big enough for a full symphony orchestra. For live music Los Angeles audiences in the Valley can reach without the drive to downtown, it's one of the best rooms around.

Practical info

When: Sunday, October 4, 2026, listed as 3pm to 5pm Where: The Soraya, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge (on the CSUN campus) Price: Discover Los Angeles lists this concert at $13. Confirm current pricing with The Soraya's box office before you buy.

Parking is in the CSUN campus structures near the hall; give yourself a few extra minutes on a Sunday, since the lots also serve campus visitors. Metro buses run along Reseda Boulevard, right by campus, if you'd rather skip the 405.

At $13, this is one of the cheaper things to do in Los Angeles that weekend with a full orchestra attached. You can find the listing on the Discover Los Angeles events calendar. For more shows, browse our concerts page or see what else is happening around Los Angeles.