Conductor Gustavo Dudamel leads the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela in their first UAE performance this month as classical music culture comes to Abu Dhabi.
This year, the city’s crescendo of cultural activities will begin with a crash of the cymbals, as a new orchestra is coming to town.
Abu Dhabi will be alight with the sounds of Beethoven and Mahler on January 27. As one of the first events sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Festival, the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela (SBSOV) will perform at the Emirates Palace Auditorium.
Comprised of more than 200 musicians between the ages of 18 and 28, the SBSOV was founded in 1975 by José Antonio Abreu, a Venezuelan economist, politician and musician. Abreu created the SBSOV as part of El Sistema, a publicly-financed music education programme designed to support youth orchestras in Venezuela.
Abreu was inspired by a Venezuelan national hero, Simon Bolivar, a military and political leader who played an integral role in Latin America’s struggle for independence. A passionate musician himself, Abreu believed that music could bring about societal progress. He says, ‘Music has to be recognised as an agent of social development. . . because it transmits the highest values – solidarity, harmony, mutual compassion.’
Thanks to Abreu, El Sistema now oversees 125 youth orchestras in Venezuela. What’s more, 70 to 90 per cent of the students who participate in the El Sistema programme come from poor socio-economic backgrounds.
Abreu has managed to keep the organisation autonomous – surviving and flourishing through 10 different administrations in Venezuela.
Over the years El Sistema has developed programmes beyond Venezuela, promoting music education throughout South and North America. Two million students have now graduated from El Sistema, with many going on to become lawyers, teachers, civil servants, and of course, musicians.
The most prominent of El Sistema’s projects, however, is the SBSOV. It started as a youth orchestra but as the average age of the musicians crept up to 25, the group dropped “youth” from its name and continued touring as the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela.
For almost 20 years, the SBSOV has been led by the highly decorated Gustavo Dudamel. Born in 1981 in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, Dudamel became involved with El Sistema at a young age – taking up the violin at 10. He started studying conducting in 1995 and by 1999, Dudamel took over the position of artistic director of the SBSOV. Educated in El Sistema, Dudamel perfectly embodies the programme’s vision.
Now 32, Dudamel is also the conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, a position he has held for five seasons and which has recently been extended until their centennial year in 2019. He has performed for Pope Benedict XVI and has been a guest conductor for some of the most prestigious orchestras in the world, including the Gothenburg Symphony, Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony and for music halls including Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Dudamel says, ‘Together with the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, I’m very honoured to be a part of the Abu Dhabi Festival. Musical education around the world is extremely important and I value the festival’s commitment to this essential element of our life and society. I am looking forward to sharing with Abu Dhabi the best energy, the magic of music, the power of music, and the happiness it creates.’
The SBSOV has performed in countries across North America, Europe and Asia, as well as a tour around South America in honour of Latin America’s bicentennial independence celebration.
But the performance at Emirates Palace will be the first time they will play in the UAE. Dudamel adds, ‘I am very much look forward to visiting Abu Dhabi for the first time. It’s always a joy to share music with new audiences and, through this experience, learn more about the culture of the area.’
Dudamel doesn’t like to share information about his performances beforehand as he prefers to let the music speak for itself. Viewers might, however, expect some of the orchestra’s specialities which include symphonies by Ludwig van Beethoven and Gustav Mahler. For those of you with tickets, the rest will be a surprise on the night.
Dhs125. January 27, 8pm, Emirates Palace Auditorium, Emirates Palace, Ras Al Akhdar www.tickets.virginmegastore.me (050 129 9103).
