José Antonio Abreu “Music has to be recognized as an…agent of social development in the highest sense, because it transmits the highest values - solidarity, harmony, mutual compassion. And it has the ability to unite an entire community and to express sublime feelings.”
The gulf between the rich and the poor in Venezuela is one of the worst in the world. Dr. José Antonio Abreu, a retired economist, trained musician, and social reformer founded El Sistema (”the system”) in 1975 based on the conviction that all Venezuelan kids can benefit from participating in classical music. After thirty years and 10 different political administrations, El Sistema is now a nationwide organization of 102 youth orchestras, 55 children’s orchestras, and 270 music centers.
Comprised of close to 250,000 young musicians, El Sistema uses music education to help youth, most from impoverished circumstances, to achieve their full potential and acquire values that favor their growth and have a positive impact on their lives in society. José views El Sistema as an alternative to the drugs and crime that plagues the lives of many Venezuelan children. The talented musicians have become a source of national pride, bringing classical music from the concert hall into the real world. Several participants of the program have gone on to have major international careers, including Gustavo Dudamel, conductor of the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra and soon to be the music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the double bass player Edicson Ruiz, who at the age of 17 became the youngest musician ever to join the Berlin Philharmonic.
There is a simple concept behind José’s work: for him an orchestra is first and foremost about togetherness, a place where children learn to listen to each other and to respect one another. José continues to believe in a better future for Venezuela, wanting to change people and structures through music.
TED Prize 2009
El Sistema (Film Trailer)
El SISTEMA: JUVENILE DETENTION/JAIL
Interview with Gustavo Dudamel - Proms 2007
