The Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to Great Britain, Samuel Moncada, together with prize-winner Maestro José Antonio Abreu Foto: Simon Jay Price

15/05/2008 Music. Double honour for prize-winners in London, Abreu and Dudamel The Royal Philharmonic Society in London recognised the exceptional work of two Venezuelans, by giving a prize to Dudamel and awarding honorary membership to maestro Abreu, for the hard and enthusiastic work of these two great musicians in Venezuela. London (15th May) – The musical awards night at the Royal Philharmonic Society in London (one of the most important society’s for promoting music in the world) took place on 15th May in front of an audience of specialists, music lovers and media. Maestro José Antonio Abreu, who was awarded honorary membership of the society, particularly stood out among the prize-winners as did the conductor Gustavo Dudamel, who still has the people of this city captivated by his performance at the BBC Promenade Concerts in 2007.

The creator of music’s future
A press release from the Royal Philharmonic Society states the following: “The vision and leadership of Venezuelan economist and musician José Antonio Abreu led him to found ‘El Sistema’ in 1975, an intensive education programme to take children out of hardship and poverty through learning how to play classical music instruments”.

The press note from the Royal Philharmonic Society goes on to state: “Thirty years later, Venezuela has 60 children’s orchestras, 120 youth orchestras and a network of choirs. All these groups have being feeding life back into professional music in the country. At this moment ‘El Sistema’ is made up of 250,000 Venezuelan children and youths. This has helped to transform life, it has given power to the communities and founded orchestras for the future. With the inspiration contributed by the ambassadors of the project, like the members of the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra, news of the Venezuelan programme of social action through music has spread quickly throughout the world. This is especially true in Scotland, where the groundwork is being laid for pilot programme this year, in the community of Raploch in Stirling,” affirmed the press release.

“No other person embodies the primary objective of the Royal Philharmonic Society of ‘creating a future for music’ more than maestro José Antonio Abreu,” it concludes.

Before the event, maestro Abreu could not contain his excitement in the face of such an important event, and despite of his usual modesty, often found in those who give themselves completely to noble causes, he told us: “It is a very special moment, because it’s about acknowledging an idea, a cause in favour of music and of social inclusion”.

The tireless maestro is always focused on his objective of using music as a means of social and spiritual development. “It’s important to keep working, to keep recruiting volunteers so that ‘El Sistema’ may keep on growing and offering opportunities for everyone,” he added.

Abreu also shared with us a few enthusiastic words about the extension of the Project ‘El Sistema’ further a field - places such as Scotland, where this summer in the community of Raploch in Stirling a musical school for children from disadvantaged backgrounds will open. It was inspired by the management and methods used in ‘El Sistema’ of National Children and Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, whose founder is Abreu. “This initiative by the Arts Council in Scotland is also recognition of the achievements of the Venezuelan ‘El Sistema.”

It should be emphasized that 6 Scottish musicians are in Caracas, visiting communities  and seeing how the methods used by ‘El Sistema’ can help them when they initiate activities in the Scottish ‘El Sistema’ in the Raploch community in Stirling. For his part, maestro Abreu announced the tour of his Orchestra next year, a visit which he is working on now, with the intensity of a man, whose calm exterior does not diminish the energy of his ideas, and whose contagious enthusiasm is difficult to ignore.

The Venezuelan Ambassador to Great Britain attended the awards ceremony, and celebrated the name of the Venezuelan nation and the achievements of maestro Abreu and of Conductor Gustavo Dudamel. “It is important to understand that honorary membership of the Royal Philharmonic Society is awarded in recognition of outstanding service in the field of music.  It has been awarded to only 130 people, including Carl Maria von Weber in 1826, who was the first honorary member, Rossini, Brahms, Clara Schumann, Stravinsky among other important names in the history of music,” said Ambassador Moncada. Among the audience were many of the most important music critics, who were enthusiastic in their praise for the high ideals of ‘El Sistema’s’ mission.

Prize-winning Dudamel, the unforgettable
Gustavo Dudamel, the conductor who with the Venezuelan Symphonic Youth Orchestra created such a sensation amongst British audiences, won the prize in the category for young musicians. Unfortunately, he could not be present at the ceremony as he had other important commitments. On that evening, the Royal Philharmonic Society said about Dudamel: “In a field as difficult as that of singers and musicians, the young artist that stood out with clarity was the Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, whose dynamic presence and electrifying production won him the hearts of both musicians and audiences, during his orchestra’s performances on tour in the UK and especially with his young compatriots of the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra at the BBC Promenade Concerts”.

It should also be mentioned that the performance of Dudamel alongside the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra was widely discussed with genuine emotion by British critics and captured the audience in a televised transmission on the BBC. This television station even showed a repeat of the amazing performance at the Proms and of the equally amazing Youth Orchestra called ‘El Libertador’ (The Liberator).

Venezuela’s night
It could be said that at the awards ceremony it was ‘Venezuela’s night’. Despite the diversity of the prize-winners, the main item on the official web page of The Royal Philharmonic Society (www.royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk) was the presence of maestro Abreu at the ceremony and the recognition of his and Gustavo Dudamel’s brilliant work.

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