Robert Shahnazarian [NOOR]
In the mid-2000s, as a producer for Sony Connect, Sony’s digital music platform, he oversaw hundreds of intimate recording sessions with artists including Taylor Swift, John Legend, Eric Church, and The Killers.
One session became emblematic of his approach.
When The Killers arrived to record an acoustic performance of Mr. Brightside, the drummer had forgotten his instrument. Without hesitation, Shahnazarian handed him a dumbek — a Middle Eastern hand drum — and the recording moved forward.
In his music producer days, Robert Shahnazarian Jr. worked with Tears for Fears, John Legend, The Killers, Chris Tomlin, Hanson, Cypress Hill and Snow Patrol. [Courtesy photos]
Unlike traditional studios built around separation and control rooms behind glass, Shahnazarian designed sessions around proximity. Musicians, producer, and equipment occupied the same space — an environment intended to foster trust, spontaneity, and emotional honesty.
“My goal was to strip away the production and capture something authentic — to let listeners hear the artist’s voice and musicianship in its purest form,” he said.
Today, that philosophy lives on in a very different venue: a ballroom overlooking Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena.
On September 10, 2010, Robert and Maggie Shahnazarian, together with Maggie’s brother, opened NOOR Events | Venue | Catering at The PASEO. What began as an entrepreneurial pivot has evolved into one of Pasadena’s defining private event destinations, producing more than 3,500 events over the past fifteen years.
The transition from recording studio to event venue was not part of a master plan.
As the music industry’s business model shifted in the late 2000s, production work increasingly required touring. By then, Shahnazarian was married with children, and the demands of the industry no longer aligned with family life.
Maggie saw a different opportunity.
Los Angeles offered no shortage of event spaces — hotel ballrooms, country clubs, banquet halls — yet something was missing.
“There weren’t many venues combining sophisticated design, elevated service, a central location, and food adaptable to the needs of many cultures,” Shahnazarian said.
The observation became the foundation for NOOR.
While Robert completed his MBA studies at Pepperdine’s Graziadio Business School, the family spent nearly two years developing the concept. Maggie shaped the culinary platform and interior aesthetic. Her brother led construction and build-out.
Their vision was ambitious but straightforward: create a contemporary venue designed for the cultural diversity of Southern California.
Even the name reflects that ethos.
In Armenian, Noor evokes the pomegranate — a symbol of abundance and fertility. In Farsi, Arabic, and Hindi, it means light.
Inside, the venue balances glamour with versatility. The Sofia Ballroom channels Art Nouveau elegance and accommodates celebrations of up to 320 guests; the Ella Ballroom offers a more intimate Art Deco aesthetic. An outdoor courtyard, anchored by The PASEO fountain, extends the experience into open air ceremonies and receptions.
Launching the business required uncommon conviction.
“I don’t think failure ever crossed my mind,” Shahnazarian said. “For the three of us, it was all or nothing.”
The early years demanded the same disciplines that define many entrepreneurial stories: assembling the right team, refining systems, and maintaining consistency for clients who returned year after year.
What distinguished NOOR, however, was its clientele.
“It feels like the United Nations,” he said. “You witness how differently — and beautifully — cultures celebrate.”
Weddings share the calendar with quinceañeras, Filipino debuts, milestone birthdays, bar and bat mitzvahs, corporate gatherings, and fundraising galas.
One event, however, stands apart in memory.
In early 2020, NOOR hosted an extravagant birthday celebration featuring performances by Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, a fifteen-piece banda ensemble, and the USC marching band.
Shahnazarian watched from the ballroom floor.
“When that event ended, I had a feeling we were about to shut down for a long time,” he said.
Days later, pandemic closures arrived.
Rather than retreat, he pivoted.
During the shutdown, Shahnazarian completed the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program and launched NOOR To Go, a digital catering platform that allowed clients to repurpose deposits toward private celebrations at home.
“None of our clients lost money,” he said. “If they didn’t want to postpone, they still had a way to celebrate.”
The platform continues to serve businesses and organizations across Pasadena today.
Community engagement has remained equally central to the company’s identity.
Shahnazarian has served as president of Levitt Pavilion Pasadena, supporting free public concerts for the community. Since 2015, NOOR has partnered with Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers, and since opening, the company reports contributing more than $1 million in in-kind support to schools and nonprofit organizations hosting fundraising events.
In 2019, Robert and Maggie Shahnazarian received the Congressional Leadership Award — Business Persons of the Year from Representative Judy Chu.
The impulse toward service traces back to Shahnazarian’s upbringing in Palm Springs, where he was raised by Armenian immigrant parents from Bulgaria and Iran. Leadership opportunities funded through organizations such as Kiwanis expanded his sense of what was possible.
“Those experiences taught me to dream without limitations,” he said.
Fifteen years into NOOR’s story, Shahnazarian still sees unmistakable parallels between the recording studio and the ballroom.
Every event unfolds through hundreds of interconnected details — menus, lighting, audiovisual cues, seating plans, timing, atmosphere.
The mechanics have changed; the objective has not.
“In the studio, my job was creating an environment where artists immediately felt comfortable enough to do their best work,” he said. “Today, it’s the same idea — creating trust, comfort, and an experience people remember.”
The microphones are gone. The chandeliers remain.
But in many ways, Robert Shahnazarian is still producing live performances.
For information about NOOR, call (626) 793-4518 or visit https://noorevents.com/
