Catch-an orchestra can rent the new hall only if they agree to give free lessons Now they have a parade of the worldwide classical stars wanting to work with El Sistema, and major world orchestras signing up to perform in their soon-to-open new hall. Thirty-three years ago, the nation of Venezuela had a total of two orchestras, and a classical music audience of about one thousand. The country now has over 60 children’s orchestras, almost 200 youth orchestras, 30 professional adult orchestras, dozens of choruses. Many begin attending the “nucleo” as early as age two or three, and the vast majority continue well into their teens, attending six days a week (sometimes seven days a week), three or four hours a day after school, plus retreats and intensives on vacations and in the summer. Venezuela’s poorest children in the nationwide music learning program. Orchestras), more commonly known as El Sistema, teaches 300,000 or more of Today, FESNOJIV (the Spanish acronymįor the State Foundation for the National System of Youth and Children’s I spent most of the week with my jaw dropped, with tears and visions of new possibility brimming in my eyes.Įl Sistema began 33 years ago when 11 young musicians gathered in an underground parking garage in Caracas to play music together, led by organist, engineer, politician José Antonio Abreu. I can affirm Rattle’s claim and raise him one it is the single most amazing thing I have ever seen in arts learning. So I spent a week inside Venezuela’s El Sistema’s, exploring it in and around Caracas, visiting classes, talking to teachers, watching, asking, attending rehearsals and performances, hosted by El Sistema staff, who answered my endless questions and translated with equal patience. I had to sniff out the truth of the implausible claims. I had to feel where the excitement grew in the poorest barrios where each “nucleo” (their word for the community music school) lives. I had to hear the beginners and average youth orchestras. Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra, which raised hairs on my neck and raised-rock music-like cheering ovations when I heart them in Los Angeles, Boston, andĬarnegie Hall. I had to hear not just their top orchestra, the I had been a part of several events that considered ways to adapt its success to American soil. Sir Simon Rattle calls it “the most important thing happening in the world in classical music.” I had heard a lot about it.
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