Orquesta Sinfónica Simón BolÃvar
The Sinfónica de la Juventud Venezolana Simón Bolívar is the State Youth Orchestra of Venezuela. Named after the South American freedom fighter Simón Bolívar Orchestra was founded in 1975 by Venezuelan economist and musician José Antonio Abreu.
The Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra is the leading of meanwhile 30 professional orchestras belonging to the Fundación del Estado para el Sistema de Orquesta Juvenil e Infantil de Venezuela ( FESNOJIV ). The government sponsored program has the aim to support children and young people - especially those from poor social conditions - to allow an informed musical education and to give them another chance at life. 350,000 participants in 180 centers receive free among other Leihmusikinstrumente of the ubiquitous so-called " sistema ", a worldwide unique system.
Despite the primarily social orientation of the Sistema orchestras and musicians has produced of exceptional quality. Meanwhile coming conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle and Zubin Mehta every year to Venezuela to play with the youngsters. The project also stirred her very much. Rattle had with problem students in Berlin similar smaller projects in the film Rhythm Is It! were documented.
The most famous exponent of the orchestra is currently Gustavo Dudamel, who was a 18 -year-old chief conductor of the orchestra in 1999. Under his leadership, the orchestra has recorded several audio CDs, including two recordings of the symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven and Gustav Mahler for German Grammophon. In August 2007, the orchestra was under his leadership, his debut at the London Proms.
2009 José Antonio Abreu received the Frankfurt Music Prize and gave to the orchestra he founded the prize money. The orchestra has been frequently a guest on the Bonn Beethoven Festival, 2010 Abreu was there patron.